At Least We Have Each Other
by LuckyxLabradoodlexLoverx7
Summary: AU: Mimi has died, leaving Roger alone with his identical twin daughters. He turns to Mark for help and receives even more than help raising the girls. Rated T because I'm paranoid and for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer – I own nothing of RENT. It belongs to its respected owner. I own my original characters, aka Roger's twin daughters and the plot. 'Nuff said.

_**Italics **_are thoughts, flashbacks & song lyrics

A/N: I was listening to the song The World Will Know from Newsies and got this idea.

Summary: AU: Mimi has died, leaving Roger alone with his identical twin daughters. He turns to Mark for help and receives even more than help raising the girls. Rated T because I'm paranoid and for safety.

Genre: Romance/Drama

Rating: T

* * *

CHAPTER ONE

_Roger held Mimi's hand as she continued to bring life into the world. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, letting her know that everything would be all right._

_Little did he know that everything was not all right. After their daughters – Belle and Sara-Mae were born, Mimi died suddenly. She had some internal bleeding that wouldn't stop._

_It didn't help that the girls looked exactly like Mimi. Roger held Mimi's limp form when both girls were taken to the nursery, except for Sara-Mae – she was taken to the NICU – she had some breathing complications._

"_I wish you could see them, Meems." Roger sobbed, holding her close. "Both of them look exactly like you."_

_He cried himself to sleep that night._

_The following day, he went to see Sara-Mae in the NICU. He couldn't hold his precious little girl, so he looked at her through the glass incubator she was in._

"_Hi there beautiful." Roger whispered to his youngest. "I'm your daddy and I love you so much. I wish your mommy was alive – she would love you as much as I do."_

_Ten days later, Roger, along with Mark's help, brought both girls home from the hospital. Both men put the girls in the nursery and let them sleep._

_As both girls grew, Roger's love for Mark grew as well. Without Mark, Roger probably would have died. Mark felt the same way about Roger. Neither of them would let anything happen to the other as long as they lived._

_When Belle and Sara-Mae were three, Roger and Mark began telling them apart. Sara-Mae loved bright colors, whereas Belle loved dark colors. Sara-Mae had to stop and pet every dog she saw. Belle could care less about dogs. Sara-Mae loved horses. Belle did not._

_As soon as the girls turned four, Roger enrolled them in daycare. He took a job tuning guitars and giving lessons. Mark worked at the photography store next door._

_On a warm June evening, Mark proposed to Roger. Roger said 'yes' as Mark slipped a ring onto Roger's left ring finger – it fit perfectly._

_The girls were excited that their daddies were going to get married, but didn't understand why they had to go to a foreign land called Toronto to get married. Mark explained as best he could so that Sara-Mae and Belle could understand. Roger knew in three words – it was legal._

_A year after Roger and Mark were married, they were ready to start their lives together, with the girls and the German Shepherd they adopted from a shelter in Toronto named Tonto._


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

_Eight years later_

"DAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDD!" Sara-Mae whined. Roger turned over in bed, putting a pillow over his head as his youngest came galloping into the room, Belle right behind her.

"Girls, your dad is still sleeping. What do you want?" Mark inquired, not looking up from the book he was reading.

"It's our eleventh birthday today!" Sara-Mae told Mark.

"Let your dad and I get ready then we'll talk about what you girls want to do." Mark suggested, kissing the top of Sara-Mae's head. She nodded and exited the room.

Belle found her sister in the kitchen, doing the maze on the back of the cereal box. Tonto was lying next to Sara-Mae, his head under her chair.

"Gimme!" Belle said, snatching the cereal box out of Sara-Mae's hands. She then poured some cereal and put it back in the pantry.

"Hey! I was using that!" Sara-Mae exclaimed, going to the pantry. She didn't see Tonto under the chair. He whined and ran out of the room. "Sorry, Tonto!"

Sara-Mae glared at her sister as she got the box out from the pantry and finished doing the maze. At that moment, Roger and Mark entered the kitchen. They made themselves some breakfast and joined Sara-Mae at the breakfast table.

"Happy birthday, sweet girl." Roger told his youngest, kissing her forehead. Sara-Mae smiled and put her dishes in the dishwasher before going to her room and got ready for the day ahead.

The four of them spent half the day doing what Belle wanted to do and spent the other half of the day doing what Sara-Mae wanted to do.

For dinner, they went to their favorite restaurant called Queen's. It was a burger joint, but had some vegetarian food there for Belle and Mark.

Sara-Mae fell asleep on the drive back to the loft. She was a heavy sleeper, so Belle took this time to ask some questions.

"Dad, do you blame Sara-Mae for mom's death?" Belle inquired. Roger hit the breaks so hard that Mark slammed his head on the windshield. Luckily, he was fine.

"Belle Judith Cohen-Davis, how DARE YOU ask that question!" Roger fumed. He then took a deep breath and turned so he was facing his eldest. "I do not blame your sister for your mother's death. Your mom had a lot of internal bleeding that wouldn't stop. She died from a massive blood loss."

"Do you think that was Sara-Mae's fault?"

"Why are you blaming your mom's death on Sara-Mae? Both of you were babies when it happened."

"I don't know." Was Belle's reply.

"Sweetie, is there something you know that I don't?"

"No, daddy. I just think that Sara-Mae killed mommy."

"No, she didn't, honey. Your mom had a massive blood loss."

It was silent after that. Belle still hated her sister and nothing would change that.

The following day, Mark took the girls to shop for back-to-school clothes. Sara-Mae found some clothes that she wanted, while Belle took her time. Mark and Sara-Mae were getting upset with Belle.

"Belle, come on. I'm hungry!" Sara-Mae complained, switching from one foot to the other. Her feet were hurting and she had go to the bathroom – bad.

"Belle, you've taken enough time. Find one more sweater and let's go get lunch." Mark said.

Finally, after twenty minutes, Belle had her sweater. Sara-Mae dashed to the nearest bathroom, while Mark and Belle went to the food court.

The three of them had lunch and went into a photography store so Mark could get some more film. Sara-Mae went to the pet store next door and Belle went to the music store next to the pet store.

A few minutes later, they exited the mall and headed home. Sara-Mae and Belle went to their rooms to put away their back-to-school clothes.

Roger arrived home at 8:45, fifteen minutes before the girls went to bed. Sara-Mae was already in bed, complaining that she wasn't feeling well. Belle was watching TV with Mark. Roger kissed the tops of their heads before heading to Sara-Mae's room.

"Hi, baby." Roger greeted his youngest, feeling her forehead – she was burning up. "Honey, come with me to the kitchen and I'll take your temperature."

Sara-Mae got out of bed, carrying her stuffed owl under an arm. She sleepily followed Roger to the kitchen and sat on the couch. Roger went to the medicine closet and got out the thermometer.

"Open, sweetie." Roger told Sara-Mae. She opened her mouth and held the thermometer under her tongue for five minutes.

When five minutes was up, Roger checked the thermometer. Her temperature was 100 degrees.

"Baby, you have a temperature. Let's go back to bed and I'll get you a cool washcloth, okay?" Roger told Sara-Mae. She nodded and shuffled back to bed, right before throwing up all over the hallway floor. "MARK!"

"What?" he called, running over to where Roger and Sara-Mae were.

"Can you get her to bed while I clean this up?" Roger asked. Mark nodded and guided Sara-Mae to bed. She had tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Angel, it's okay. It's not your fault." Mark soothed as he held her in his lap and rocked her. Roger came into the room, carrying a bucket and a bottle of water.

"Here you go, pumpkin." Roger said, handing Sara-Mae the bottle of water. He then put the bucket on the left-hand side of Sara-Mae's bed.

Once Sara-Mae was settled, Mark and Roger left the room and went to see how Belle was doing. She had fallen asleep on the couch.

"I'll put her to bed." Roger told Mark. Mark nodded and picked up the living room. He then turned off the TV, let Tonto out and went to check on Sara-Mae one more time.

The following morning, Sara-Mae's fever had gotten worse, so Roger took her to the hospital while Mark stayed with Belle.

"I hope Sara-Mae dies." Belle muttered loud enough for Mark to hear.

"GO TO YOUR ROOM!" Mark bellowed. Belle started at him, a blank expression on her face. "You heard me!"

Belle bit her bottom lip to keep from crying and stormed up the stairs to her room.

Roger and Sara-Mae came home towards the middle of the afternoon.

"Hey. How'd it go?" Mark inquired, kissing Roger's cheek.

"All right. The doctor gave her some medicine to keep the fever down. Other than having a fever, she's doing okay." Roger answered.

"Sara-Mae, are you hungry at all?" Mark asked.

"Daddy and I got pizza on the way home from the doctor's." Sara-Mae answered, her voice hoarse, as if she had woken up from a deep sleep.

"Why don't you go lie down and I'll bring you some ice cream in a bit, okay?" Roger suggested. Sara-Mae nodded and went to her room without another word.

Belle was sprawled on her stomach, listening to music and reading a book when Sara-Mae entered the room. She climbed into bed and pulled the covers over her head. Belle smiled wickedly and turned up the volume on her music player louder.

"Belle, turn off the music. Sara-Mae isn't feeling well." Mark said, entering the room with a bowl of chocolate ice cream and a cool washcloth.

"What's wrong with Sara-Mae?" Belle wanted to know.

"She has a fever and a sore throat." Mark answered, rubbing Sara-Mae's back as she ate the ice cream.

"Will she be okay?" Belle asked.

"I hope so." Mark said, kissing the top of Sara-Mae's head and turned off the overhead light.

Once Mark left the room, Belle turned back on the light.

"Mmm. Belle, please turn off the light." Sara-Mae moaned.

"No."

"Turn off the light or I'm telling."

"Fine."

Sara-Mae got out of bed and went to the living room. Roger and Mark were watching a game show on TV. When the show went to a commercial, Mark looked over and saw Sara-Mae standing in the doorway.

"Honey, what's wrong? Did you throw up again?" Mark asked, rushing over.

"Belle won't turn off the light and I'm trying to sleep." Sara-Mae complained.

"Why don't you sleep in our room for now and I'll have a talk with Belle." Mark suggested. Sara-Mae nodded and walked to the master bedroom.

"Daddy, can you get me Hedwig, please?" Sara-Mae asked. Mark nodded and went across the hall to the twins' bedroom.

"Belle Judith Cohen-Davis, Daddy and I are very angry with you." Mark started. He went to Belle's CD collection and stuffed all the CDs into a black garbage bag. He also put her music player, DVDs and the books she was reading in the bag. "You will get these back once you start being nicer to your sister."

"THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Belle screamed.

"I know, kiddo, but life isn't fair." Mark told her, getting Sara-Mae's stuffed owl and a blanket.

Belle cried herself to sleep, cursing her sister and her dads.

"I WISH I DIDN'T HAVE A SISTER! I WISH MY MOM WAS STILL ALIVE!" Belle yelled at the wall.

"Belle, shh!" Mark whispered as he entered the room. In the darkness, Belle could tell he was helping Sara-Mae into the room. He tucked her into bed, kissed her head and exited the room.

Three days later, Sara-Mae was back to her normal self. One day, she was over at a friend's house and when she came home, Belle was sitting on her bed.

"Move!" Sara-Mae commanded.

"This is my bed now." Belle told her sister.

"DAD!" Sara-Mae yelled. Mark came running, since Roger was at the vet with Tonto. Tonto had taken a tumble down the stairs and was having surgery on his left back leg.

"What's going on now?" Mark asked, tired of the girls' fighting.

"She won't move off my bed!" Sara-Mae exclaimed, pointing a finger at Belle.

"Belle, please move off Sara-Mae's bed." Mark pleaded, his voice tired.

"This is my bed now." Belle said.

"No, your bed is over there." Mark said, pointing to the other twin bed pushed against the far wall.

"My mistake." Belle said, getting off Sara-Mae's bed and went to her side of the room.

Sara-Mae hoped that when the girls got older, they would become friends. She was tired of the constant fighting and bickering that was going on between herself and Belle.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

_Five years later_

Roger was putting the finishing touches on the girls' birthday cake while Mark took picture after picture of the girls.

"I can't believe they're turning sixteen today." Roger marveled.

"I know. It seems like yesterday we brought them home from the hospital." Mark said.

The first of Sara-Mae's friends arrived. They included – Jenn, Nichole, Talia, Fiona, Samantha, Brittany, Jennie and Bonnie.

"Happy birthday Sara-Mae!" they all squealed as they entered the house. Sara-Mae giggled and led the girls outside.

Only four of Belle's friends were able to make it. They were – Parker, Jasmine, Jace and Claudia.

"Where's Jeremy, Candice, Esmeralda, Sophia, Andrew and Jackson?" Belle asked, adjusting her tiara for the fifth time.

"Jeremy, Andrew and Jackson have a soccer tournament – it goes all day. Esmeralda is sick, so she's not going to make it. Sophia had to go out of town at the last minute – her aunt died." Parker informed Belle. Belle rolled her eyes and went to the backyard to join her sister and her friends.

It turned out the only thing the girls had in common was the book series The Hunger Games. They agreed to have a Hunger Games themed party, including an intense game of Capture the Flag.

Since they were the birthday girls, Sara-Mae and Belle were the captains.

"One rule – you have to mix your sister's friends with yours." Mark added. He and Roger were dressed as Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith, respectively.

"Belle will start, since she's the oldest." Roger – or Claudius – added.

Belle looked over the people standing before her. After five minutes, she made her choice.

"Nichole."

Sara-Mae chose Parker. Belle chose Jenn. Talia went to Sara-Mae. Brittany went to join Jenn and Nichole. Samantha went to join Parker and Talia. Fiona went to Belle's team. Jace went to Sara-Mae's team.

There were now four people to chose from – Jennie, Bonnie, Jasmine and Claudia.

"I choose Jennie." Belle announced. Jennie trudged over to join her teammates. Roger placed a blue bandana around her arm, which she instantly stuffed into her pocket.

"I choose Claudia." Sara-Mae announced.

"I choose Bonnie." Belle announced.

"I guess I'm on Sara-Mae's team, right?" Jasmine asked. Sara-Mae nodded and embraced Jasmine.

"Okay, now Sara-Mae's team has red bandanas. Belle's team has blue bandanas. That's how to identify each other. The rest is up to you." Roger announced.

"May the odds be ever in your favor." Mark said in his best Effie Trinket voice. He blew his whistle and the teams ran into the woods.

Sara-Mae smiled at her teammates – Talia, Samantha, Parker, Jasmine, Claudia and Jace.

"I think I'll be one of the jailers – I'm fast and agile." Sara-Mae told her teammates.

"I'll be another jailer." Jace spoke up.

"So will I." Claudia announced.

"We'll do the rest." Parker said.

"Okay." Sara-Mae told him, flashing him a smile.

"READY, SET, GO!" Mark's voice was distant as Sara-Mae and her teammates headed deeper into the woods.

"Ow! Dammit!" Sara-Mae yelled five minutes into the game. She tripped over a tree root and had blood running down her leg. She ignored it and turned her attention to her teammates. She, along with Jace and Claudia were jailers. So far, they had captured Jenn, Fiona, Belle and Jennie.

"You okay?" Parker asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sara-Mae told him.

The game ended an hour later, with Sara-Mae's team getting the flag. Belle and her teammates glared at Sara-Mae and her team, celebrating and getting goofy.

After everyone was done celebrating, the teenagers came inside for dinner, which was spaghetti and turkey meatballs, the girls' favorite.

Everyone got their dinners and spread out around the house.

Sara-Mae, Parker, Jenn, Fiona, Jace and Jennie ate their dinners on the large screened-in porch.

"You enjoying your birthday so far?" Parker asked, his mouth full of garlic bread.

"Yeah. It's been a pretty good day so far." Sara-Mae told him.

Once dinner was eaten, Mark made popcorn and poured it into bowls for the kids. They thanked him and headed to the basement to watch a movie.

A noise on the baby monitor made Roger look up from doing dishes.

"Mark, I'm gonna check on Alex. I'll be right back." Roger told his partner.

"Okay." Mark responded.

Roger went up the stairs to the nursery. He quietly opened the door and went over to the crib that contained the two-month-old baby girl that Mark and Roger adopted.

"Hi Alexandria Grace. How are you?" Roger cooed as he brought Alex over to the changing table. He sang a lullaby to her as he changed her diaper. "Now that you're all clean, princess, would you like to see your sisters?"

Without waiting for an answer, Roger picked up Alex and brought her downstairs to the kitchen. Mark looked lovingly at his youngest and kissed her forehead.

"Hi, baby. Want to see me for your bottle?" Mark asked, carefully took Alex from Roger and took her to the couch so he could feed her a bottle.

At that moment, Jace came up the stairs. He put more popcorn in his bowl and was about to go back downstairs when he saw Mark giving Alex her bottle.

"She's so cute. May I hold her?" he asked. Mark nodded and put the burp cloth over Jace's right shoulder before handing him Alex.

"Jace! Come on, dude! You're missing the best part!" Parker announced, coming up the stairs.

"Dude, shh! I'll be right there." Jace told Parker, not taking his attention away from Alex.

"Here, Jace, I'll take her, if you wanna watch the movie." Mark told Jace.

"Okay." Jace told Mark. He then looked at Alex. "I'll see you later, cutie pie."

The movie they were watching got boring, so Sara-Mae and Belle went upstairs to open presents and have ice cream and cake.

Once their friends were gone, Mark and Roger blindfolded the girls and led them down the stairs and out to the garage.

They then removed the blindfolds and the girls squealed. Before them were two Volkswagens – one blue, one red.

"The red one is for Sara-Mae. The blue is for Belle." Mark told the girls.

"Happy sixteenth birthdays, sweethearts." Roger added, kissing both their foreheads.

"Can we go for a drive?" Belle asked, instantly getting in her car. Sara-Mae was hesitant. Roger and Mark frowned, forgetting that Sara-Mae only had her learner's permit. She only needed a few more hours, then she could get her license. Until then, Sara-Mae was happy either walking, riding her bike or riding her skateboard everywhere.

The following afternoon, Sara-Mae was babysitting the kids across the street when her phone rang.

"Madison, Elliott, don't you dare get out of my sight." Sara-Mae told the kids before answering her phone. She smiled and answered it, "Hello Parker."

"Hey. How are you doing?" he wanted to know.

"I'm fine, babysitting for the kids across the street. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to go to a movie tonight."

Sara-Mae and Parker had started seeing each other. Even though he was a friend of Belle's, Sara-Mae still got along with him.

"Sure. What time?"

"7:30."

"I'll be ready at six-fifteen-ish."

"Okay. I'll see you later. Oh, would it be okay if Jace and Belle came, too? They're dating and Mom wants me to chaperone them."

"Um, sure."

"Great. I'll see you soon."

"Okay." Sara-Mae hung up the phone and turned her attention back to the kids.

At 6:15, Sara-Mae was dressed and ready to go. She was reading a book on Greek Mythology and was really into it.

She put in her Athena bookmark and looked out the large picture window. Parker's car was parked in the driveway and he was already making his way up the back stairs.

"Hey Parker." Mark greeted the other boy. Parker smiled and entered the house. He saw Roger bottle-feeding Alex on the couch. Belle was watching something and Sara-Mae was nowhere to be seen. "She's in the front room, reading, if you want to see her."

"Just a minute. I have a few questions to ask, first." Roger said, handing Alex to Belle and led the way to the master bedroom.

"Um, okay." Parker was a little unsure as to where this was going.

"First off, what are you two going to be up to this evening?" Roger wanted to know.

"We're going to a movie, possibly out for ice cream after." Was Parker's response.

"What movie?" Roger questioned.

"_Revenge of the Zombie, Part II_." Parker answered.

"What's the rating?"

"PG-13."

Roger looked to Mark. Mark flashed Roger a 'honey it's okay, let them go have fun' glance.

"Have her home by 10:30."

"I will, sir. Good night."

He, Sara-Mae, Jace and Belle were out the door and headed to the movies. The boys paid for the popcorn, tickets and drinks. Sara-Mae bought her own candy, Fudgie Buddies – a movie must-have.

After the movie, the four of them went out for ice cream. Parker glanced at his watch – twenty minutes before Sara-Mae had to be home.

Nine minutes later, Parker pulled into the Cohen-Davis' driveway. He looked at Sara-Mae, who was asleep in the front seat, his varsity jacket wrapped around her shoulders.

"Sara-Mae, we're home." Parker whispered. Belle had already gotten out of the car and was headed for the house.

"I had a wonderful time. Thank you so much." Sara-Mae thanked Parker. She then turned to Jace. "It was great to see you again."

"You, too." Jace said. Sara-Mae smiled and got out of the front seat.

She had the best night of her life and she would never forget it, mostly because she and Belle had FINALLY started to get along.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

_Four years later_

"Parker, I don't know why you're so nervous. Both of my dads love you, Alex loves you, Belle loves you and I love you. You'll be fine." Sara-Mae told her boyfriend of three years.

"It's just that I don't know what to say to them." Parker said, feeling his throat tighten. Sara-Mae rolled her eyes, kissed her boyfriend's cheek and led him to the kitchen. Roger was there, making lemonade. Mark was chasing Alex through the house and both Belle and Sara-Mae were finishing packing up their rooms. Both girls had gotten jobs and were moving in with Jace and Parker, respectively.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Roger raised an eyebrow as Parker sat on one of the barroom stools.

"Parker? What's wrong?" Roger inquired.

The reason why Parker was so nervous was that he was asking both of Sara-Mae's fathers blessings to marry Sara-Mae.

"I really love Sara-Mae with all my heart and I was hoping that youwouldgivemeyourblessingtomarryher." Parker squeaked the last part.

Roger cautiously looked at the young man sitting, trembling in front of him. He didn't break the look, taking the young man's measure of his veracity.

"What are your intensions?" Roger questioned.

Parker looked dumbly at Roger before responding.

"What?"

"What are your intentions?" he repeated, slower this time.

"What do you mean?" Parker's voice squeaked on the end. He stopped and cleared his throat before continuing. "I'm not sure what you mean, sir?"

"Will you love her until the end of time?" Roger asked.

Parker nodded.

"Will you provide her with children?"

Parker nodded again.

"Will you be there for her in times of need?"

Parker nodded for the third time.

Roger smiled, patted Parker's back and welcomed him to the family.

"But," Roger said, "if you harm Sara-Mae in any way, shape or form, I will personally hunt you down like a dog and gut you like a fish, understand?"

Parker nodded, reminding himself to never piss off Roger. He imagined him standing on the porch, a rifle in his hand.

"Now, about the proposal…I have a great idea." Roger said, an impish gleam in his eyes.

Parker felt his stomach fall to his feet, and the room seemed suddenly chilly.

* * *

"Can you tell me where we're going?" Sara-Mae asked. Parker had shown up a month later and put a sleep mask over Sara-Mae's glasses. He had then guided her to his truck and told her not to remove the sleep mask.

"No, it's a surprise." Parker answered. Mark and Roger had helped Parker plan the proposal, right down to what kind of sparkling cider they would be drinking.

A friend of Mark's owned a dude ranch and was willing to lend a couple horses out for Sara-Mae and Parker. Sara-Mae's mount was an Applassoa mare named Big Apple. Parker's mount was a Tennessee Walking Horse gelding named Aura. Sara-Mae and Parker would take Big Apple and Aura to a secluded area in the back of the ranch, where a picnic was set up. Belle and Roger would be keeping an eye on the food, just in case animals came along and ate it.

As the sun set, would Parker propose to Sara-Mae.

* * *

"Okay, we're there, but don't take off your sleep mask yet." Parker told Sara-Mae. He stopped the truck and hopped out of the driver's seat. Sara-Mae heard him call someone on his cell phone. He then opened the passenger door and helped Sara-Mae out of the truck and led her over a dirt path.

"Am I dressed okay?" Sara-Mae inquired. She was wearing a pink T-shirt, blue jeans and black cowboy boots.

"Yeah, you look great." Parker told Sara-Mae as they continued to follow the dirt path.

It ended at a wooden walkway that led into the barn. Parker took off the sleep mask and grinned. Big Apple and Aura were waiting for them. Sara-Mae started to walk towards Aura, but Parker stepped in front of her.

"I'm riding him. Big Apple is your horse." Parker said quickly. Sara-Mae rolled her eyes and mounted Big Apple. Once they were on their mounts, Parker heeled Aura into a canter, Sara-Mae and Big Apple right behind them.

They rode a worn dirt trail to the secluded area of the ranch. Parker looked around nervously while Sara-Mae told Big Apple what a pretty horse she was.

"Are we there yet? My butt hurts!" Sara-Mae complained, straightening herself in the saddle. She hated Western and preferred to ride English.

"Almost." Parker replied for the millionth time.

"We're not lost, are we?" Sara-Mae questioned.

"No." Parker quickly answered. Sara-Mae rolled her eyes.

"Yes, we are – we passed that rock three times."

"No, we didn't."

"I am so freaking bored! Can I at least sing something?"

"Sure." Parker replied, not even caring at the moment.

"_Soft kitty, warm kitty. Little ball of fur  
Happy kitty, sleepy kitty. Purr, purr, purr_." Sara-Mae sang at least ten times.

"Great! Now you've got that song stuck in my head!"

"It's your fault for getting us lost – typical guys. Always know where they're going."

"We are not lost!" Parker exclaimed. He then spotted the picnic area. "We're here!"

"Took us ten years." Sara-Mae joked, guiding Big Apple through the willow trees.

The two of them dismounted their horses, took off their bridles and put on their halters before tying them to a tree stump.

Sara-Mae rolled over on her back and propped herself on her elbows, marveling at the beautiful sunset.

She heard Parker open a bottle and handed her a glass. She was munching on trail mix, but gladly took the glass.

"Parker, we're twenty. We can't drink alcohol yet." Sara-Mae told him.

"I know. This is sparkling apple cider." Parker told Sara-Mae. He then rolled over on his side and made sure the ring was in his pocket – it was. "Sara-Mae, there's something I want to ask you."

"Um, okay." Sara-Mae said, taking a sip of her sparkling apple cider.

"This isn't easy for me, so I want you to bare with me, okay?"

Sara-Mae blinked her chocolate-brown eyes at her loveable goof of a boyfriend. She had never seen him this serious and it scared her.

"Honey, are you all right?" Sara-Mae inquired.

Parker got on one knee and had Sara-Mae stand before him. He then got out the ring box and presented it to her. A gold band with a small diamond was in the box. Parker's sister had helped him pick out the ring, along with Mark's help.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is Sara-Mae Joy Cohen-Davis, will you do the honor of marrying me?" Parker asked, a pleading look on his face.

Sara-Mae didn't trust herself to speak, so she nodded while Parker slipped the ring onto her left ring finger – it fit perfectly.

The two of them kissed in the rays of the setting sun. Sara-Mae wrapped her arms around Parker's neck as they embraced for the second time.

They then mounted their horses and headed to the ranch before it got dark. Roger and Belle would take care of the picnic.

When Parker arrived at the Cohen-Davis house to drop Sara-Mae off, the moon was rising and a few stars twinkled in the sky.

He carried Sara-Mae bridal style into the house, being careful not to hurt her.

Parker then carefully took her up the stairs and put her in her room. He then removed her cowboy boots and put the blanket over her.

"I'll see you tomorrow, sweetness." Parker purred in Sara-Mae's ear. He listened to her breathe peacefully and backed out of the room. He closed the door and headed down the stairs.

"So, how'd the proposal go?" Mark inquired, making Parker jump thirty feet in the air. Mark laughed, not realizing he had startled the poor guy.

"She said, 'yes'." Parker whispered. Mark smiled and hugged Parker. "I put her in her room and I'll be by tomorrow to pick her up."

Mark nodded and watched Parker exit the house, just as Roger and Belle entered, carrying the picnic items.

"Where's Sara-Mae?" Roger asked.

"Asleep in her room. Parker'll be by sometime tomorrow to pick her and the rest of her things up." Mark informed his partner.

"If she doesn't make me Maid of Honor, I will kill her." Belle half-joked.

Mark and Roger chuckled and watched Belle climb the stairs to the room she shared with Sara-Mae.

"Can you believe we've shared this room for twenty years?" Belle inquired.

"We shared mom's womb, too." Sara-Mae's voice sounded from the shadows.

"Now, tomorrow, we'll leave this – and each other – behind." Belle said, tears forming in her eyes.

"We'll see each other again." Sara-Mae assured her twin, falling back asleep.

The following day, Sara-Mae and Belle spent the day together before going to live with the new men in their lives.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

_Two years later_

Sara-Mae Joy Cohen-Davis smiled as she made her way down the aisle on the arm of her dad, Mark. Ahead of them were the six bridesmaids and six groomsmen. Belle was lovely as Sara-Mae's Maid of Honor. Jace served as Best Man. Alex – Sara-Mae and Belle's six-year-old sister, was the flower girl. Ryan – Parker's five-year-old nephew – was the ring bearer.

The bride and groom exchanged rings, vows and a kiss or two. In no time at all, they were newlyweds Sara-Mae and Parker Jordan.

At the reception, the couple's first dance was an old favorite – I'm Yours by Jason Mraz. Parker and his mother, Sandra, danced to Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Sara-Mae and Roger danced to My Little Girl by Tim McGraw.

After dancing, Sara-Mae and Parker sat at the Head Table, whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears.

For their honeymoon, they decided to use Parker's dad's frequent flyer miles to go to Jamaica for four weeks.

After the wedding was over, Sara-Mae and Parker headed back to their house to pack for the honeymoon. Sara-Mae made sure Parker saw the purple lingerie she put in her suitcase. She had gotten it at her bridal shower from Belle.

They were now airborne for Jamaica. Sara-Mae rested her head on Parker's shoulder and interlaced her fingers in his. Parker couldn't wait to hold her in his arms and treat her like the princess she was.

Once they were in the resort and hotel they were staying at, Sara-Mae went to get a full-body massage while Parker went to play golf.

Sara-Mae was done with her massage and went back to the hotel room. She went to put on the lingerie and waited for Parker.

Parker entered the hotel room a few minutes later and saw Sara-Mae on top of the comforter, the lingerie hugging her in all the right places. Parker made his way over to Sara-Mae and kissed her everywhere his lips could reach, his fingers fiddling with the straps of the lingerie.

Once Sara-Mae's lingerie was off, Sara-Mae helped undress Parker. He climbed on top of her and put a hand between her legs. She recoiled under his weight, her little body wanting more. Parker removed his hand and placed his shaft at her entrance. She moaned with pleasure as Parker extended even further inside her.

It was towards 7:30 when Sara-Mae grew tired. The two of them took a shower together before putting on their pajamas and going to bed.

Four weeks later, it was time to leave the resort. Sara-Mae packed the slippers, a bottle of shampoo, a bottle of conditioner and some soap as souvenirs.

They arrived back home on a rainy afternoon. Belle, Roger, Alex, Mark and Jace all met Sara-Mae and Parker at the airport. They exchanged hugs and stories of their adventures.

After pizza and wine, Sara-Mae and Parker went to their house. Both of them were starting their new jobs in a week and there was still so much to do. Sara-Mae had gotten a job as a journalist and Parker played baseball.

Three weeks later, very early in the morning, Sara-Mae felt bile rise in her throat. She sprinted to the bathroom and emptied the contents of her stomach for fifteen minutes.

Parker woke up to the sounds of Sara-Mae retching and went to her. He held her hair back and soothed her as she vomited.

"You okay?" Parker asked, helping Sara-Mae stand on wobbly legs.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Probably nerves." Sara-Mae answered, flushing the toilet. She then brushed her teeth, wiped the vomit off her face and went back to bed. Parker put a loving arm around Sara-Mae and drew her close.

_Six months later_

Sara-Mae was at work when her phone rang. Excusing herself, she went to a quiet corner and answered it.

"Hello?" Sara-Mae whispered into the phone. Heart-wrenching sobs could be heard on the other line. "Dad? Dad? Jace? Parker? What's going on?"

"Sara-Mae?" Jace's quivering voice broke through the sobs. "She's in the hospital and not doing well."

Jace wasn't making any sense.

"Jace? What do you mean 'she's not doing well'? What's going on?"

"Belle was hit by a car today." Mark's calm words came out of nowhere. His voice was shaking. "She was riding her bike, not paying attention and a car backing out of a driveway hit her. She's in a medically induced coma."

Sara-Mae felt tears stream down her cheeks. This could not be happening. Belle was supposed to see Sara-Mae's baby when it arrived.

"I-I'm coming." Sara-Mae told Mark. She hung up the phone and walked back to the meeting she was supposed to be in. "I-I'm sorry, but I have to leave. Um, my sister was hit by a c-" Sara-Mae couldn't finish her sentence.

Someone from the office said they would drive her to the hospital. Sara-Mae thanked them and followed the person to their car.

They dropped Sara-Mae off at the front entrance and she went to find her sister.

"Sara-Mae!" Parker's familiar voice called out. She turned around and collapsed into his arms. Parker held her close and kissed her forehead.

Together, the two of them stepped into the elevator and went to see Belle. Sara-Mae started sobbing and held onto Parker's yellow and green uniform.

They reached the floor that Belle was on and entered her room. Jace embraced Parker, crying into his half-brother's uniform. He then turned to Sara-Mae and carefully hugged her.

Mark and Roger were waiting for Sara-Mae as she entered the hospital room. She let out new waterworks when she saw Belle strapped to a ton of machines, including a breathing machine.

Roger offered Sara-Mae his hospital chair and held Sara-Mae's hand as she talked to Belle.

"Belle, honey, listen to me. Stay away from the light. You can't go yet." Sara-Mae firmly told her sister. "I'm expecting and hoping that it's a girl. I can't wait for you to meet your little niece or nephew, but to do that, you need to wake up. Please!"

Roger rubbed Sara-Mae's back in a circular motion as she cried, holding her sister's hand. Parker came forward and with Mark's help, got Sara-Mae out of the room.

They took her downstairs to the cafeteria so she could calm down before going to her doctor's appointment, which just happened to be in the hospital. Mark was coming with them because he wanted to.

"It's okay, honey." Parker soothed as he, Sara-Mae and Mark climbed into the elevator and went to the third floor where Sara-Mae's appointment would take place.

Sara-Mae checked in with the nurse and went to sit on a comfortable chair in the waiting room. Shortly after Sara-Mae got comfortable, a nurse called her back.

The nurse introduced herself as Nurse Lisa and took Sara-Mae's vitals before the doctor would be coming in with the ultrasound machine.

"Have her change into this and the doctor should be in shortly." The nurse told Parker, handing him a blue hospital gown. Mark stood outside the examining room so that Sara-Mae and Parker could have a moment to themselves. When they were done, Mark reentered the room and sat on a hospital chair next to the examining table.

Three minutes later, a woman doctor arrived. She introduced herself as Dr. Wooley and explained what would happen.

"Are you wanting to know the sex of your baby?" Dr. Wooley asked, putting on a pair of rubber gloves and applied the special gel to Sara-Mae's exposed stomach.

"Yes." Sara-Mae and Parker answered in unison. Dr. Wooley moved the wand over Sara-Mae's stomach, smiling once in a while.

"There she is." The doctor announced ten minutes later. A loud thudding filled the room and Sara-Mae instantly knew that was the baby's heartbeat.

"She? As in we're having a girl?" Parker squeaked. Dr. Wooley nodded and showed the picture of their daughter. She was stretched out in the uterus, looking very content.

"Can I see?" Mark inquired. Parker nodded and moved aside so that he could see his granddaughter. He felt tears in his eyes as the doctor wiped off the gel on Sara-Mae's belly and printed out an ultrasound picture of the baby. "Wow – she's beautiful!"

"Now, Sara-Mae, have you decided on what sort of birth you're going to have?" Dr. Wooley inquired.

"I was hoping for a natural water birth, if that's all right." Sara-Mae said. Dr. Wooley nodded and adjusted her glasses.

"That would be fine, but I want to schedule a C-Section, just in case." Dr. Wooley told Sara-Mae.

"Okay. A nurse friend of mine told me I should schedule it a week before my actual due date. Is that correct?" Sara-Mae inquired.

"That's correct, although for you, since you're doing everything you're supposed to be doing, I would schedule it five days before your due date, which would put you at September 15th, is that correct?" Dr. Wooley asked. Sara-Mae nodded.

"So, we should schedule it for September 10th." Parker spoke up.

"Yes." Dr. Wooley said. She scribbled a time and date down on a note card and handed it to Sara-Mae. She then handed the picture to Mark. "Your new granddaughter is beautiful."

"Thank you. If only Sara-Mae's sister-" Mark started, his blue eyes welling up with tears. Sara-Mae held his hand and squeezed it gently.

The doctor didn't pry or ask questions, which Sara-Mae was happy about. Dr. Wooley smiled sadly, patted Sara-Mae's shoulder and exited the room.

Sara-Mae got dressed with Mark and Parker's help.

"What do you want to do, sweetie?" Mark asked as he, Sara-Mae and Parker exited the hospital and made their way to where Parker's truck was parked.

"I wanna go home and crash. I am so tired." Sara-Mae told her father and husband. Parker nodded and helped Sara-Mae into the truck.

"When the baby comes, you might want to consider getting a car that's low to the ground and easy to get in to." Mark told Parker. Parker nodded, hugged Mark and got in the truck.

He helped Sara-Mae into bed while he called his coach and Sara-Mae's boss to let them know what was going on. Both of them were very forgiving and told the couple to take as much time as they needed. Sara-Mae had requested thee months for maternity leave, which her boss was fine with.

_Three months later_

Sara-Mae and Parker were packing an overnight bag for Sara-Mae when Parker's phone rang. Sara-Mae continued packing while Parker took the call. She was about to put in a pair of comfortable slippers when she had a really bad stomachache and felt something run down her leg. She thought she had wet herself when she felt like her stomach was turning inside out.

She gripped the side of the bed and called out for Parker.

"Dude, I need to go – Sara-Mae needs me. I'll call you back, okay?" Parker finished his phone call and rushed to Sara-Mae's side. "Honey, are you okay?"

Sara-Mae shook her head and whimpered in pain, tears and sweat streaming down her face. Parker looked at the puddle at Sara-Mae's feet and figured out she was in labor.

He threw her overnight bag over his shoulder and helped Sara-Mae out of the house and into Roger's car he had given them.

Sara-Mae screamed out in pain as they sped towards the hospital.

"Honey, shh. We're almost there." Parker soothed Sara-Mae.

They arrived at the hospital ten minutes later, complete with police escort. The police woman was prepared to give Parker a ticket for speeding, but when he told her that Sara-Mae was in hospital, the police woman had escorted them to the hospital.

In no time, Sara-Mae was in a birthing pool, Roger and Parker at her side. Mark was with Jace, Alex and Belle.

Fourteen and a half hours later, Sara-Mae held her brand-new, 6 pound, 5 ounce, 17.4 inch long daughter in her arms. Parker had tears streaming down his cheeks as he looked at his new daughter. Parker let Roger cut the cord while Parker had watched his daughter come into the world.

"Do we have a name for this little girl?" Dr. Wooley inquired.

"Rachel Belle Jordan." Sara-Mae answered sleepily. Parker kissed the top of Sara-Mae's head and looked at his daughter.

"That's a beautiful name." Roger spoke up. Sara-Mae, Parker, Rachel and Roger were in a huge suite where Sara-Mae would stay overnight.

Sara-Mae was now nursing Rachel for the first time. Rachel latched on, making Sara-Mae wince. Parker watched his daughter take her first taste of milk, taking in both Sara-Mae and Rachel's beauty.

"May I hold her before she goes to the nursery?" Parker asked as Rachel finished her milk. Sara-Mae nodded and burped Rachel before handing her to Parker. Sara-Mae watched on sleepily as her husband and daughter bonded.

Fifteen minutes later, the night nurse came to take Rachel to the nursery. Parker put Rachel in her incubator and made sure the lid was closed before the nurse took her away.

Sara-Mae fell asleep right away, whereas Parker took in all that had happened that day. Fourteen and a half hours before, Rachel didn't exist, which was hard to believe.

Parker kissed Sara-Mae's forehead and made his way to Belle's room. He saw Mark, Roger, Jace and Alex sprawled out in chairs around the room. He went over to the chair that Jace was in and tapped his foot. Jace woke up with a start.

"It wasn't me! The pink unicorn made me do it!" Jace announced. Parker forced back a giggle and woke up his half-brother again. "DAMMIT! PARKER! WHAT THE HELL?"

"Shh! I want to talk to you!" Parker hissed, leading the way out of the room. After a while, Parker pulled Jace into a quiet corner. "Sara-Mae had our baby – we had a girl."

"Aww, congratulations! What's her name?" Jace questioned.

"Rachel Belle Jordan." Parker answered.

"I love that name."

"You sound like Roger."

Jace smiled, then frowned.

"How's Belle doing?" Parker asked.

"Not well. The doctor suggested we pull the cord soon." Jace said, tears in his brown eyes. Parker hugged his brother close, hoping Belle would get better soon.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

_A year later_

Sara-Mae kissed her sister's forehead for the last time. Belle wasn't doing any better and the doctor suggested they pull the plug. She had been in a coma for a year and a half and wasn't showing any signs of improving.

Roger, Sara-Mae, Jace, Parker and Mark were taking turns saying goodbye to Belle. Alex and Rachel were being watched by old friends of Mark and Roger's.

Sara-Mae cried into Roger's flannel shirt as the doctor pulled the plug. Roger sobbed loudly, as did Mark, Jace and Parker.

"I can't believe she's gone!" Jace wailed.

Everyone nodded silently, letting their sobs fill the room. They had lost a girlfriend, sister, friend, daughter and aunt.

"We'll see her again, won't we?" Sara-Mae asked as she and Parker got in the car to relieve the friend of Rachel.

"Of course we will." Parker assured Sara-Mae. She looked out the window at the fluffy white clouds, knowing that her sister was safe in heaven.

_Two days later_

Rachel, Sara-Mae and Parker were enjoying a glorious day at the park. Rachel swung on the swings and was playing with a new friend – a little boy named Riley.

Sara-Mae and Parker were watching their daughter intently, not paying attention to the hornet's nest that hovered above Sara-Mae's head. Sara-Mae was allergic to bees and always carried her Epi-Pen with her. Today, she had forgotten it at home.

Suddenly, Sara-Mae stood up quickly and was stung by three hornets. She took in wheezing breaths, grasping for her Epi-Pen. It wasn't in her pocket or purse.

Parker turned to smile at Sara-Mae and saw she was struggling to breathe.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Parker inquired. That's when he saw the hornet stings on Sara-Mae's arms and he knew what happened. He quickly picked up Rachel and put her in the car before going back to Sara-Mae.

He drove as fast as he could toward the hospital, trying to get Sara-Mae focused on her breathing.

"What wrong with mama?" Rachel questioned.

"Mama got stung by hornets and needs to go to the hospital." Parker told his little girl.

"She be otay?" Rachel asked.

"I hope so, baby girl." Parker answered, pulling into the Emergency Room parking lot. He picked up Rachel and helped Sara-Mae into a wheelchair. "I NEED HELP HERE!"

Two nurses looked over at Parker and instantly took Sara-Mae into the Emergency Room while Parker filled out paperwork. Rachel was fascinated with the fish tank in the middle of the waiting room.

Dr. Wooley smiled and came out to see Parker and Rachel.

"Hi! What are you two doing here?" she inquired. Parker explained what happened and saw the smile disappear from Dr. Wooley's face. "Gosh, I'm so sorry, but she'll be fine." She then turned to a small girl looking at the fish tank. "Is that Rachel?"

"Yeah, that's Rachel." Parker said. Rachel heard her name and came over to where Parker was sitting. "Rachel, this is Dr. Wooley. She delivered you when you were born. Dr. Wooley, this is Rachel."

"You look like your mommy." Dr. Wooley told Rachel. Rachel smiled and buried her face in her dad's shirt. Just then, a doctor came up to Dr. Wooley and whispered something to her. She nodded, excused herself and walked off.

"Are you Parker Jordon?" the doctor asked. Parker nodded and held Rachel close, hoping that Sara-Mae was all right. "Your wife is stable, but in critical condition. We need to keep her overnight, just for observation." He then looked at Rachel. "Sara-Mae isn't accepting visitors, but if you want to see her, your daughter can go in the hospital nursery."

Parker shook his head – he didn't want to leave Rachel alone for a moment.

"Also, we had to run an ultrasound on her and we discovered that she's carrying twins. It's too early to tell the sex, but they look identical." The doctor told Parker. Parker smiled and thanked the doctor. The doctor nodded his head and walked off. Parker turned his attention to Rachel.

"You hear that, sweetie? You're gonna be a big sister." Parker told Rachel.

"I am?" she asked, shocked. Parker laughed and hugged her close just as Roger, Mark and Alex entered the waiting room.

"What are you guys doing here?" Roger asked, hugging Parker and Rachel.

"Sara-Mae was stung by some hornets, and she didn't have her Epi-Pen with her. She's okay, but has to stay overnight for observation." Parker told Roger and Mark. Alex and Rachel were talking with each other. Alex was now ten and was the spitting image of Roger, although she had Mark's blue eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Alex sprained her wrist playing with a friend." Mark said, indicating to Alex's bright pink cast on her left wrist.

The five of them decided to go out to dinner at the Broadway Café, one of their favorite themed restaurants.

"Oh, before I forget, they had to run an ultrasound on Sara-Mae and she's expecting identical twins." Parker announced after they had ordered their food.

"Congratulations. Do you know what they are yet?" Mark asked, taking a sip of his water.

"The doctor said it was too early to tell." Parker answered, taking a sip of his root beer.

Before they knew it, their food came. Parker ordered 'Annie Get Your Gumbo'. Roger and Mark ordered 'Pizza of the Opera'. Alex ordered 'Stake Faire' and Parker ordered 'Chicken Mia!' for Rachel.

"How's your guys' food?" their waiter, Walter, asked. Everyone gave the thumbs-up sign and went back to eating.

After they ate their dinner, Parker paid for their food and took Rachel home – it was almost her bedtime.

As Parker read Rachel her bedtime story, his thoughts drifted to Sara-Mae, hoping that she would be all right.

The following day, Parker and Rachel went to visit Sara-Mae. Rachel ran into Sara-Mae's hospital room and jumped on her bed, making Sara-Mae cry out.

"Honey, you have to be careful." Parker warned. He then kissed the top of Sara-Mae's head and sat next to her. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm all right. The medicines I'm on are really helping." Sara-Mae answered, her voice hoarse. Rachel looked over at the machines that Sara-Mae was hooked up to. "Rachel, please don't touch."

Parker picked up Rachel and held her on his lap.

"I miss you." Parker told Sara-Mae.

"I know. I miss you, too." Sara-Mae told Parker. He kissed her forehead and looked into her chocolate-brown eyes.

"I heard they had to do an ultrasound on you and the doctor discovered you're carrying identical twins." Parker told Sara-Mae. She nodded weakly. "Honey, why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm not that far along and didn't want to tell you in case I had a miscarriage." Sara-Mae responded.

"Changing subjects, when are you coming home?" Parker inquired.

"Either today or tomorrow, depending on how I respond to the medicines I'm on. I'm on four." Sara-Mae said.

An hour later, Parker and Rachel left the room when Sara-Mae said she was feeling tired. They said their 'miss you's' and 'love you's' and exited the room.

The following day, Sara-Mae was released from the hospital. Roger picked her up and brought her home while Mark and Parker cleaned the house. Alex volunteered to watch Rachel.

An hour later, the house was clean and Sara-Mae was home. Roger helped her into bed while Parker made her something to eat so she could take her medicine.

Four days later, Sara-Mae was back to her normal self. She spent all her extra time in her garden, which she enjoyed.

When Rachel was down for the night, Roger, Jace and Mark came over so they could talk about a memorial service for Belle.

"I would love to either sing or read a poem." Sara-Mae told the men sitting around her. Parker nodded and wrapped an arm around Sara-Mae's shoulders. He kissed her forehead and squeezed her hand.

"I would like to sing something, too." Roger spoke up.

After a while of talking about the memorial service, Sara-Mae went to her bedroom and found a box of pictures she had kept of herself and Belle. She brought the box out and Parker went to assist her.

"How are the babies doing?" Roger inquired, looking at Sara-Mae's stomach.

"They're good. I'm in my fourth month and it's too early to tell what they are." Sara-Mae answered.

"When will you find out?" Jace asked.

"In two months." Sara-Mae told him, scattering the pictures on the kitchen table. There were pictures of the girls at prom, different Halloweens, in the pool, on an elephant, laughing, playing catch and riding bikes.

"Oh, look at this one!" Mark said, indicating to the picture someone had taken of Mark and Roger bringing the girls home. He was carrying Belle's carseat and Roger was carrying Sara-Mae's.

"I love this one." Jace said, pointing to a picture of Sara-Mae and Belle dressed as the Wicked Witch and Glinda from The Wizard of Oz.

"We were four in that picture." Sara-Mae told him, her eyes going to a picture of her and Belle at their eleventh birthday party. "Dads, remember this one?"

"Oh, yeah. You and Belle wanted a Harry Potter themed party." Roger recalled, smiling at the picture.

They spent a while more looking at pictures, until Jace said he had to go. Sara-Mae, Parker, Mark and Roger hugged him, thanking him for his support.

"I think I better get to bed." Sara-Mae told Parker. He nodded and kissed her forehead. Sara-Mae kissed and hugged Mark and Roger before going to the master bedroom.

"I've always wondered how you guys came up with the names Sara-Mae Joy and Belle Judith." Parker told Mark and Roger as they shifted through more pictures. He found one of Sara-Mae hugging a big German Shepherd. The dog had a tan cast on its left back leg.

"Sara-Mae was named after my great-grandmother. Belle was the name of Mimi's favorite Disney heroine. As for Joy and Judith, I have no clue." Roger spoke up.

"Yes, you do. Joy was for your sister and Judith was for Mimi's childhood friend." Mark told his partner.

"Who's Mimi and when can I meet her?" Parker inquired. He saw Roger's face darken and Parker knew he had asked a really stupid question.

"Mimi was the girls' mother, but she died shortly after Sara-Mae was born. She died from a massive blood loss." Roger answered.

Parker felt his stomach drop to his shoes. He had no idea that happened.

"I-I'm so sorry." Parker apologized.

"It's okay. After Mimi died, Mark became the girls' second father. That's all they know him as." Roger explained when Mark went to use the bathroom.

"I bet you miss her, don't you?" Parker asked. Roger nodded and took a sip of his coffee. Just then, Mark walked over and placed his hands on Roger's shoulders.

"Babe, we better get going. We told Alex we would be home at 8:30 and it's going on nine." Mark told Roger. Roger nodded and helped Parker clean up the pictures.

After Mark and Roger left, Parker went to take a shower and go to bed.

_Two months later_

Parker, Sara-Mae, Roger and Mark were all crammed in the tiny examining room. They were there to find out what Sara-Mae would be having.

Dr. Wooley smiled and entered the room. She knew everyone in the room, so she didn't have to introduce herself.

"All right, Sara-Mae, let's see if those babies are in good positions. I'm assuming you want to know the sex of the babies?" Dr. Wooley asked.

"Of course." Sara-Mae answered, squeezing Parker's hand as Dr. Wooley applied the special gel. Two loud thudding noises filled the room, making Roger jump five feet in the air. "Dad, that's the babies heartbeats."

"I knew that." Roger said, rather sheepishly.

A moment later, Dr. Wooley smiled and turned the screen so that Sara-Mae and Parker could see their babies.

"Congratulations, you two. Looks like you're having boys." Dr. Wooley told the happy couple. Parker smiled and kissed Sara-Mae's forehead as Dr. Wooley cleaned off Sara-Mae's stomach. She then printed out a picture of the boys for Roger and Mark.

As Sara-Mae and Parker headed to the waiting room where Jace, Rachel and Alex were waiting, Parker kissed Sara-Mae's stomach. She smiled and held his hand, not wanting to let go.

_Three months later_

Sara-Mae paced the length of the master bedroom, frowning. The boys – Derek Andrew and Gregory Ian were supposed to be born a week ago.

"Honey, I think we should go to the hospital. The boys are a week late." Sara-Mae told Parker. Parker nodded and helped Sara-Mae into the car. Rachel was spending the day over at Roger and Mark's.

Parker nodded and got Sara-Mae into the car and drove to the hospital. On the way there, Sara-Mae's water broke and her contractions started.

Thirteen hours later, Sara-Mae held her sons for the first time. They looked exactly like Parker. Parker looked down at his sons, thrilled to be a dad for the second – and third time.

"Rachel, would you like to hold your brothers?" Parker asked. Rachel nodded and went to sit in a chair. Roger went over how to hold the babies while Parker got Derek ready. Sara-Mae was nursing Gregory at the moment. "This is Derek. Be careful with him, okay?"

Mark took picture after picture of Rachel holding Derek. The three-year-old looked lovingly at her little brother, knowing that she would love him forever.

"Can I hold Gregory, now, please?" Rachel inquired. Sara-Mae nodded as Parker took Derek and put him in the incubator. The boys would be going to the nursery for the night.

"Okay, just be careful with him, okay?" Parker said. Rachel nodded and looked at her other brother.

"How can we tell them apart?" Rachel inquired.

"That's a good question, Rach. I think Greg's hair is a tad bit darker than Derek's, so that's one way." Parker answered, looking over at Sara-Mae. She had fallen asleep, which was the best thing for her. "Rachel, your brothers are going to the nursery for the night, so five more minutes, okay?"

Rachel nodded and kissed Greg's forehead just as the nursery nurse came in to take the boys to the nursery.

Parker and Rachel slept on the comfortable squishy armchairs that were near Sara-Mae's bed. Rachel fell asleep instantly, while Parker stayed awake, thinking about his life so far.

The following day, Sara-Mae and the boys were given the okay to come home. Roger, Mark and Alex came to help Sara-Mae get ready to come home. Parker and Mark changed the boys while Roger and Alex packed up Sara-Mae's overnight bag. Sara-Mae went to use the bathroom and Rachel was still asleep.

"Rachel, come on, it's time to go home." Roger told his granddaughter. She opened her eyes and held her arms outstretched. Roger smiled and picked her up.

That night, Sara-Mae and Parker hardly got any sleep. Derek and Greg kept them up for most of the night.

"Shh, shh, baby. It's okay." Sara-Mae soothed Derek as she nursed him. He seemed to calm down after twenty minutes of nursing. She looked over at Parker. "How's Greg?"

"He's a little colicky, but otherwise fine." Parker answered, his voice tired.

After an hour, both boys were settled down and down for the count. Sara-Mae and Parker exited the nursery and went to their room.

Roger, Mark and Alex would be helping out for three months. Alex was now twelve and spent most of her time taking care of Rachel, which she didn't mind doing.

Sara-Mae instantly felt sad, knowing that in three months it was Belle's memorial service. She couldn't believe that her sister was no longer a part of her. Sure, they had their fights and arguments, but Sara-Mae knew that deep down they really cared about each other.

"Honey, you okay?" Parker asked, coming into the nursery.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little sad, that's all." Sara-Mae told her husband. He sat next to her and kissed her temple.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Parker inquired.

"I've been thinking a lot about Belle. I still can't get over the fact that she's gone." Sara-Mae said, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand.

"I know – I miss her, too." Parker said.

The two of them spent some more time in the nursery before Roger entered. The couple looked up and smiled.

"Hey dad." Sara-Mae greeted her dad, standing up and hugged him. Roger smiled and hugged his daughter.

"Mark and I want to talk to you two when the twins go down for a nap. Rachel and Alex are playing downstairs." Roger said.

"Okay. We'll be right there." Sara-Mae told him. She kissed Parker's cheek and exited the nursery, Parker right behind her.

They made their way down the stairs and went to the sitting room where Mark and Roger were waiting for them. The two of them were holding hands and looking happier than ever.

"As you two know, our thirtieth wedding anniversary is coming up." Mark started. "We were hoping to do something special, but without Alex."

"We were wondering if Alex could stay here while we go to Hawaii for three weeks." Roger finished.

"Of course Alex can stay here. That would be fine." Parker told Roger.

"Dads – what about Belle's memorial service? It's in three months." Sara-Mae reminded her dads.

"Sweetie, we would be going a few days after the service." Mark said.

"What about you two? Do you need to go out?" Roger questioned.

"Oh, no. That's very nice of you to offer, Roger, but the boys came home last night and we should probably wait until they're a little older before going out." Parker told Roger. He nodded, completely understanding.

Sara-Mae and Parker didn't feel like cooking, so Mark and Roger made dinner for everyone. They made burgers, broccoli and a fruit salad.

Sara-Mae got drinks for people while Parker set the table.

A few minutes later, dinner was ready. Just as Sara-Mae was about to sit down, the monitor went off. She went to the nursery and saw Greg crying loudly. She picked him up and held him against her for a while.

"It's okay, baby. What do you need?" Sara-Mae asked her baby boy. She brought him to the changing table and removed his diaper. He definitely needed changing. Sara-Mae quickly changed him and put him back in his cradle.

She was about to leave the nursery when Derek started his wailing. Sara-Mae groaned and went to see what was wrong with Derek.

Twenty minutes later, Sara-Mae exited the nursery and made her way to the dining room. She plopped down in her chair, completely exhausted.

"Honey, why don't you go to bed? I'll take care of them tonight." Parker told Sara-Mae. She nodded and told all her family good night as she headed up the stairs to the master bedroom.

She didn't even bother to change into her pajamas. She got under the covers, fully clothed and fell asleep, dreaming sweet dreams.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: ONLY 3 MORE CHAPTERS LEFT OF ALWHEO**

* * *

CHAPTER SEVEN

_Three months later_

Sara-Mae felt tears in her eyes as she made her way to the front of the small church where Belle's memorial service was being held.

"What is there to say about someone you have known all your life?" Sara-Mae started, her voice trembling as she read from her note cards. "She was more than a sister to me – she was a friend and aunt to our children, whom she never got to meet." Sara-Mae took a deep breath and continued her speech. "Wherever you are, Belle, I hope you know we love you and miss you. God bless."

Sara-Mae walked back to her seat, tears streaming down her cheeks. She sat down next to Parker and bawled her eyes out. He put an arm around her shoulders and drew her close to him.

After the memorial service, there was a reception held at Sara-Mae and Parker's house. Sara-Mae couldn't face more people, so she hid in the master bedroom, her nose buried in a book.

There was a soft knock on the door and Parker entered. He went to Sara-Mae's side and looked into her eyes.

"Hey, I know you're hurting, but there's people out there that want to see your beautiful face." He told her, his tone soothing.

"I'll be down in a minute." Sara-Mae assured him. He kissed her forehead and exited the room. Sara-Mae went to the bathroom across the hall and freshened up. She then went downstairs and stood by Parker the rest of the night.

Once everyone had gone, Sara-Mae and Parker, along with Jace, Roger, Mark and some friends of Mark and Roger's went on the porch for some wine and to listen to the sounds of nature. Alex was up in the master bedroom, watching a movie and the Jordon kids were down for the night.

"I remember you when you were little." Joanne – a beautiful African-American woman told Sara-Mae. Sara-Mae smiled and looked off into the distance. Four deer had made their way into the Jordon's backyard and were staring at the strangers on the porch.

"Yeah, you and your sister were adorable!" Maureen – Joanne's partner – told Sara-Mae. "You were the cutest things."

"I used to watch you and your sister sometimes when your dads would need a night out." Benny – one of the African-American men – told Sara-Mae.

"I kind of remember that." Sara-Mae told Benny, taking a sip of her wine. Just then the monitor went off. "I better get this."

"I'll come with you." Collins volunteered. Sara-Mae nodded and led the way to the nursery.

Jace watched Mark and Roger hold hands and laugh at each other's jokes. He wished that Belle could see what was happening.

"So, when do you two leave for Hawaii?" Jace questioned.

"The day after tomorrow." Roger answered, kissing Mark's cheek. "I can't believe we've been together for 30 years."

"Time flies when we're having fun." Mark added.

"What sort of things are you two gonna do in Hawaii?" Joanne inquired.

"We're taking surf and hula lessons. I also found this amazing resort that has a horse stable. We've also signed up for a couple's cooking class." Roger said.

Sara-Mae and Collins came back onto the porch. Sara-Mae looked extremely tired. Parker took Sara-Mae to bed and promised he would be back soon.

"So, Parker, how did you and Sara-Mae meet?" Angel – Collins' drag-queen partner – wanted to know.

"It was at Sara-Mae and Belle's sixteenth birthday party. She chose both Jace and I to be on her team for Capture the Flag. I've been in love with her ever since." Parker told Angel.

Parker enjoyed the small talk, but after two hours, people started leaving. First to go were Joanne and Maureen, followed by Benny. Collins and Angel hugged Parker, Roger and Mark before leaving.

"I'll go get Alex and then we can leave, okay?" Mark told Roger. He nodded and helped Parker with dishes.

"I better get home and tend to Shayla." Jace told Parker.

"Wait a minute – who's Shayla?" Parker asked, thrown off-guard.

"She's the black Cocker Spaniel I adopted two days after Belle died." Jace explained.

"Okay. Take it easy, bro." Parker told Jace. He nodded and exited the house.

Mark came down the stairs with Alex. Parker hugged the three of them before going to check on Sara-Mae.

He took a quick shower, put on his pajamas and climbed in next to Sara-Mae, instantly taking her in his arms.

_Four weeks later_

"Aloha!" Mark and Roger greeted Sara-Mae, Parker, Alex and Rachel as they came off the terminal. Jace was watching the twins, so Sara-Mae and Parker knew they were in safe hands.

"How was it?" Sara-Mae inquired as she hugged Roger. He kissed her forehead and squeezed her shoulder. She then went to hug Mark as Parker hugged Roger.

"Beautiful – the island, our room at the resort, the people." Mark answered, holding Roger's hand.

"The countless sunsets and sunrises we saw were beautiful." Roger added, squeezing Mark's hand back.

Sara-Mae, Parker and Rachel headed back to the house to relieve Jace of babysitting. Parker hugged his brother as Sara-Mae went to put Rachel to bed. Parker bottle-fed both boys, changed them and put them to bed. The boys were now sleeping through the night, which was a relief for Parker and Sara-Mae.

The following morning, Sara-Mae went to work while Parker took care of the boys and Rachel. Mark, Roger and Alex would be coming over to help out in the afternoon, which was a huge relief.

As Sara-Mae was going to her office, the heel of her shoe got stuck on one of the stairs. Sara-Mae fell down two flights of stairs and ended up breaking her right ankle and had a few scrapes and bruises.

A work friend of Sara-Mae's, Leila, ended up taking Sara-Mae to the hospital. She was treated for her ankle and the scrapes. She went home the same day and was ordered to keep weight off her ankle.

"I HATE these crutches!" Sara-Mae exclaimed as Parker helped her to the guest room on the main floor. He kissed her forehead and went to get Sara-Mae something to eat.

He came back a while later with two slices of cheese pizza, a salad and a glass of lemonade. He set up a TV tray for Sara-Mae and handed her the remote. He then fluffed the three pillows that supported Sara-Mae's ankle. Sara-Mae took the pain relievers that were on the napkin and turned on the TV.

"Roger and I are gonna take Alex, Rachel and the boys to the park. Mark's here if you need anything. I also have my cell, in case you need me." Parker told Sara-Mae.

"Thanks, sweetie. Could you do me a favor before you go?" Sara-Mae inquired. Parker nodded. "Would you please get me my cell phone and the large black book that has _House of Hades _on it, please?"

"Of course. Anything for my queen." Parker told Sara-Mae. He put both the book and her phone on the bedside table. He took care of the dirty dishes and refilled Sara-Mae's lemonade – this time with pink lemonade.

"Have fun. I'll see you when you get back." Sara-Mae told Parker. She blew him a kiss as he exited the room.

As Sara-Mae watched one of her favorite TV shows, The Fosters, she thought she heard retching coming from the bathroom. She groaned and found her crutches. She then hobbled to the bathroom and knocked on the door.

"Dad? You okay in there?" Sara-Mae asked.

"Yeah. It's probably something I ate. I'll be fine." Mark assured Sara-Mae. She sighed and hobbled back to her bedroom.

Ten minutes later, she was comfortable again. She was finished watching The Fosters and put on a recording of Switched at Birth. It was the season finale and the episode that Sara-Mae was waiting for.

As she watched the episode, she found herself signing. She knew a little sign language and was wanting to learn more.

After Switched at Birth was over, Sara-Mae turned off the TV and found her laptop. She went on YouTube and found some sign language videos, some amateur, some professional.

"Hey. What are you up to?" Mark asked as he came into the room.

"Learning some sign language." Sara-Mae responded, signing along for the video for the song 'Strangers Like Me' from the movie Tarzan.

Mark entered the room and sat next to Sara-Mae, putting an arm around her shoulders. Sara-Mae put her head on his shoulder and leaned against him. She felt Mark stroking her hair, the way he used to do when she was a kid.

"You doing okay in here?" Mark asked as the video finished.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Sara-Mae answered, stifling a yawn.

"I was gonna watch a movie. Wanna watch one with me?" Mark inquired.

"Which one?" Sara-Mae wanted to know.

"_The Music Man_." Mark said. Sara-Mae's eyes lit up like Christmas trees.

"Of course! It's one of my favorites." Sara-Mae replied.

"I'll watch it in here with you, so that way you don't have to move." Mark said, disappearing for a moment before returning with the DVD.

Sara-Mae instructed him on how to operate the DVD player. A few minutes later, the opening credits rolled and Sara-Mae felt herself singing along with most of the songs.

"I love the song between Marion and her mother." Sara-Mae told Mark.

"That's one of my favorites, too." Mark whispered to Sara-Mae.

Sara-Mae ended up falling asleep toward the middle of the movie. Mark kissed her forehead, turned off the TV and DVD player, turned off the lights and exited the room.

He was about to pick up his book when he felt bile rise in his throat. He made another dash to the bathroom just as Parker, Roger and the kids entered the house. Roger heard retching coming from the bathroom and ran toward the noise.

"Babe, I'm here." Roger soothed Mark, holding him in his arms as he puked. After Mark was finished and freshened up, he and Roger cuddled on the couch while Alex, Rachel and the boys went downstairs to play.

After an hour, Roger, Mark and Alex went home while Parker ordered Chinese food from Koi's. The boys weren't old enough to have Chinese food yet, so Parker made them something they would like.

Sara-Mae was still sleeping when she smelled the fragrant aroma of Chinese food. She carefully hobbled to the living room where all her kids attacked her at once.

"Kids, leave mommy alone – she broke her ankle today and needs some rest." Parker told the kids as he helped Sara-Mae back to the master bedroom.

Everyone ended up eating in the master bedroom and watched _The Music Man_.

Once _The Music Man _was over, Parker helped the boys with their bath while Rachel changed into her pajamas and brought in the book she and Sara-Mae were reading.

After reading a chapter of the book, it was time for Rachel to go to bed. She kissed Sara-Mae goodnight and exited the room, just as Parker entered.

The two of them read a little bit before going to bed.

_Six months later_

Everyone was at Mark and Roger's for a barbeque and having a great time. Mark sat in a lawn chair, a light blanket over his lap. Sara-Mae went over and ate with him.

"How're you feeling, dad?" Sara-Mae asked, taking a bite of her burger.

"I'm all right. Tomorrow, your dad and I find out what we're having." Mark answered, looking at his enormous belly. It turned out that Mark had a rare condition in his family in which he could become – or get – pregnant. Mark and Roger were shocked to find out, but eventually came to terms that Mark was going to be a parent.

"Mind if I come?" Sara-Mae asked. "There's an audition at the community college and I'm trying out."

"Not at all, honey." Mark said, kissing her temple just as Roger and Parker joined them.

"How did Alex react when you told her?" Parker asked Roger.

"She didn't know how to respond – she was just as shocked as we were." Roger answered.

"Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?" Sara-Mae questioned.

"A boy." Mark and Roger answered in unison.

The following afternoon, Sara-Mae went with Mark and Roger to their appointment. They all smiled when Dr. Wooley walked into the room.

"Hi you guys!" she greeted them as Mark got on the examining table. She put on gloves and put the special gel on Mark's stomach. She moved the wand around until they heard the baby's heartbeat.

"What a handsome devil he is!" Dr. Wooley told Mark and Roger. Roger looked over Mark's shoulder and lovingly squeezed it. Sara-Mae also looked at her brother – he was adorable.

"Look at that little miracle!" Roger whispered, completely in awe.

"He's so handsome." Mark whispered back.

Dr. Wooley cleaned Mark's stomach and gave the couple a picture of the little guy. They also scheduled a C-Section date and time.

The three of them thanked Dr. Wooley and exited the examining room. Mark and Roger walked hand-in-hand, ready to start a new chapter in their lives.

They went with Sara-Mae to her audition. She danced with the grace of a deer for her dance audition, sang a beautiful song for her singing audition and performed a monologue from the musical the college was performing as her acting audition.

After the audition, the three of them went out for frozen custard.

A few weeks later, Sara-Mae was checking her email when she let out a loud squeal. Parker came running into the room, almost skidding on the hardwood floor.

"Honey? What's going on? You okay?" Parker questioned, a look of panic on his face.

"I'm fine. I got an email from the director from the college that the musical I auditioned for – I got the female lead!" Sara-Mae squeaked.

"Congratulations – I am so proud of you!" Parker told Sara-Mae, giving her a quick peck on the lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he got on top of her.

Things only got better from there.

_Three months later_

Sara-Mae and Parker were in a deep sleep when the house phone ringing pierced the night. Parker answered it, since he was closest. Sara-Mae went back to sleep, hugging the pillow she usually slept on closer to her.

"Hun, wake up. Mark is at the hospital, having an emergency C-Section." Parker told Sara-Mae five minutes later. She quickly got up and threw on a sweater and jeans over her pajamas.

They arrived at the hospital twenty minutes later. Sara-Mae called a friend of hers to watch Rachel and the boys while they went to the hospital. It was hard to find someone at 3:26 in the morning, but Sara-Mae's friend was willing to come over right away.

At the hospital, Parker and Sara-Mae went to find Roger and Alex. According to the nurses at the nurse's station, they were in room 212.

Sara-Mae bought a blue stuffed bear for her little brother at the gift shop before heading to see Mark and baby.

As they entered the room, Sara-Mae saw Roger and Alex sleeping on comfortable armchairs. Sara-Mae touched Roger's shoulder and he jumped a mile in the air. He smiled when he saw Sara-Mae and Parker. He got out of his chair, stretched and led Sara-Mae and Parker into the hallway. Alex continued to sleep.

"Mark is in recovery, but he should be out soon." Roger started, grinning like an idiot. He turned to Sara-Mae. "Your little brother – David Matthew Cohen-Davis was born at 2:22 AM. He's absolutely perfect. He weighs 7 pounds, 6 ounces and is 16.5 inches long."

"Can we see him?" Sara-Mae inquired, eyes hopeful. Roger nodded and led the way to the nursery.

"Has Alex seen David yet?" Parker wanted to know.

"Not yet. She'll meet him in the morning." Roger answered. They stopped at the observatory and looked at all the sleeping babies. "He's third one in the first row on the left-hand side."

Sara-Mae and Parker looked at the little baby sleeping before them. He had wisps of blonde hair sprouting from his scalp. Sara-Mae smiled widely as she looked at her little brother.

"How's Dad doing?" Sara-Mae asked as the three of them headed back to the hospital room.

"He's tired, but doing okay. He should be in the room now." Roger said, going into the hospital room. Alex was still sleeping, which was believable – that girl could sleep through an earthquake.

Sara-Mae smiled as they entered the room. Mark was there, looking very peaceful as he slept. Roger brushed back Mark's hair and kissed his forehead.

Parker and Sara-Mae congratulated Mark on the birth of David and praised at how beautiful he was. Mark smiled sleepily and thanked them, his voice barely above a whisper.

The couple decided to let Mark and Roger get some sleep before they saw visitors the following day.

_Four months later_

Roger, Parker, Rachel, Alex, Derek and Greg found their seats in the auditorium and waited for the musical Sara-Mae was in to start.

"What part does Sara-Mae have again?" Roger asked, flipping through his program.

"Lydia." Parker answered.

"Where's mommy?" Rachel asked.

"She's getting ready to come onstage." Parker answered. He then went to explain what the musical was about when the lights dimmed and a female's voice reminded everyone to turn off their cell phones, open candy wrappers now and no recording of any kind.

The stage darkened and the overture played. Parker kept looking over at the kids every so often while the musical was going on.

Sara-Mae entered the stage, singing a pretty ballad with a tall Asian man. Sara-Mae danced with him for a while before going off-stage. She emerged ten minutes later on the arm of another gentleman.

Parker couldn't believe how much emotion Sara-Mae poured into her role. When the tall Asian man Sara-Mae appeared with in the opening number (Frank was his character's name) got killed at the end of Act 1, Parker could tell those were actual tears pouring down her cheeks.

It was now intermission and the house lights came up. Parker turned to his family.

"What do you think of it so far?" Parker wanted to know.

"I'm really liking it. I loved Scarlett, Lydia and Olivia's trio – that was hilarious." Alex told Parker.

"Mommy's really good." Rachel answered.

"I like mommy's girl. She nice." Derek chimed in.

"I like mommy's singing. It pretty." Greg added.

Parker turned to Roger.

"What do you think?" Parker asked.

"It's really intense, but really good. I love the songs, especially At Least We Have Each Other and the one that Lydia and the character of Olivia did on the farm while they were milking the cows." Roger told Parker. "What do you think of it so far, Parker?"

"I don't really like seeing Sara-Mae with other guys, so that kind of annoys me. I love the songs and I really like the costumes, especially Lydia's wedding dress – that was beautiful. I also like the storyline." Parker said, looking to see what songs were in Act 2.

Act 2 was longer than Act 1, but it was amazing. At the end of the show, Sara-Mae's character drank poison by mistake and was slowly dying in the arms of her mysterious lover. The two of them sang At Least We Have Each Other (Reprise) before Sara-Mae's character died.

"NO! LYDIA! COME BACK TO ME! DON'T LEAVE ME WITH OUR SON!" the lover wailed as he clung to Lydia's still form.

A few minutes later, there was a loud bang and the lights dimmed. The stage lights came up and At Least We Have Each Other played as the house lights came up and the cast did their curtain calls.

Sara-Mae, the guy that played the mysterious lover, the guy that played Frank and the girl that played Olivia received standing ovations. Thunderous applause rang out throughout the auditorium as the stage lights dimmed and the cast exited the stage.

"Let's go find mommy." Parker told his children, Roger and Alex. They all nodded and got up from their seats.

Parker led them backstage to where Sara-Mae would be meeting them. While they waited, Parker went to get Sara-Mae a dozen red roses. Roger and Alex had gone to use the bathroom, Rachel, Greg and Derek following behind them.

"Hey there stranger." Sara-Mae told her husband a few minutes later. She was out of costume and was in street clothes.

"You were the most wonderful star out there." Parker told her, handing her the roses. She smiled and kissed him just as Roger, Alex and the kids joined them.

"Honey, you were fantastic out there. I wish Mark and David could've seen you." Roger told Sara-Mae, kissing her temple.

"I know. I felt them in spirit, though." Sara-Mae told her dad. She then turned to the kids. "What did you guys think?"

"We really liked it!" all the kids exclaimed in unison. Sara-Mae smiled and greeted some cast mates.

"Everyone, this is Tom, Hannah and Mike – they played Frank, Scarlett and the mysterious lover. Tom, Hannah and Mike, this is my husband Parker, our oldest Rachel, twins Derek and Greg, my dad Roger and my sister, Alex." Sara-Mae introduced everyone.

"It's nice to meet you guys." Mike said, shaking everyone's hand.

"I liked your song that you sang with mommy and Olivia." Derek told Hannah. She smiled and hugged him.

"Are you coming out with us?" Jewel – the girl that played Olivia – inquired.

"Um, I don't think so. Parker, Rachel, the boys and I are going to head back to our house and get ready for bed." Sara-Mae told Jewel.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, right?" she asked.

"I won't be able to make it tomorrow – it's my birthday, so my understudy, Amanda, is gonna take over my part." Sara-Mae told Jewel.

"See you soon, hopefully. Nice to have met all of you." Jewel told Sara-Mae's family.

The musical ran for three more weeks before closing. Sara-Mae received an autographed copy of the DVD and soundtrack. Sara-Mae found her signature on the DVD box and smiled, happy to have been part of a stage family.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

_A year later_

Sara-Mae looked down at her stomach and frowned – she knew she had a miscarriage – her third.

She was into her third week of pregnancy when she lost the baby. Sara-Mae cried for days after the baby died. She knew it was silly to cry over a three-week-old thing growing inside her, so she stopped her crying.

"Maybe we're only supposed to have three children." Sara-Mae told Parker one evening as they glanced at the stars. Parker kissed her forehead and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Let's not give up yet." He assured her, kissing her temple. "When you're ready, we'll try again."

Sara-Mae nodded and finished her orange juice. She set the glass down and looked at Parker.

"I'm ready." She announced.

"Sar-bear, are you sure?" Parker asked. Sara-Mae nodded and took Parker's hand. They went into the master bedroom and things only got better from there.

_Three months later_

Sara-Mae looked at the pregnancy test one more time, just to be sure it was correct. The pink line was vertical, which according to the box, meant it was positive.

"Parker! Get in here!" Sara-Mae called. Parker entered the bathroom ten seconds later.

"Are you okay?" Parker asked. Sara-Mae nodded and showed him the test. He kissed the top of her head and rested his forehead on hers.

As Sara-Mae began to show, she and Parker went shopping for baby clothes, since she had given Rachel, Derek and Greg's away. Rachel was now ten and the boys were seven years old.

One night at dinner when Sara-Mae was in her second trimester, she and Parker told the kids that they would soon have a little brother or sister.

Rachel raised her glass in a toast to her new brother or sister. Everyone agreed and clanked glasses.

The following day, Sara-Mae and Roger went to Sara-Mae's doctor's appointment. Parker, Jace and Mark would be taking the kids to the park and then to a movie.

Dr. Wooley smiled and entered the examining room. She didn't have Sara-Mae undress, just to roll up her shirt and get comfortable. Roger squeezed his daughter's hand as Dr. Wooley applied the special gel. Sara-Mae told Dr. Wooley that she wanted to find out the gender of her baby, just as she did with the others.

"Take a look at your daughter and granddaughter." Dr. Wooley told Roger and Sara-Mae. They smiled and looked at the little girl on the screen.

"Wow – she's beautiful." Roger announced.

"Another girl! I can't believe it!" Sara-Mae marveled, looking at the ultrasound screen. Roger kissed the top of Sara-Mae's head and helped her sit up as Dr. Wooley cleaned off Sara-Mae's exposed stomach.

"Sara-Mae, since you're older, I would like to schedule a C-Section, okay?" Dr. Wooley told Sara-Mae. Sara-Mae nodded and they agreed to have the C-Section a few days before the last little baby was born. "This will be your first, so would you like to be awake or asleep during the C-Section?"

"Awake, please." Sara-Mae answered. Dr. Wooley nodded and told Roger and Sara-Mae to have a great rest of their day.

Roger and Sara-Mae went to lunch across the street from the hospital. They had a table outside, since it was a lovely day.

"Here's to your first C-Section and your new daughter." Roger said as he toasted Sara-Mae. She smiled and toasted him.

They ate their lunches mostly in silence, but once in a while, there was conversation.

"I am so proud of you." Roger told Sara-Mae after they had their lunches and left the restaurant.

"Thanks, Dad." Sara-Mae thanked her dad. He helped her into the car and drove her home.

That night, Sara-Mae and Parker had dinner by themselves – Rachel was at a sleep over and the boys were at a friend's house.

"I have something to tell you." Sara-Mae told her husband.

"Really?" Parker asked, picking at his salmon.

"I found out we're having a girl." Sara-Mae said, taking a bite of salmon.

"I can't believe it – another girl!" Parker said. Sara-Mae could tell that his thoughts were elsewhere.

"Parker? Babe, are you all right?" Sara-Mae questioned.

"I'm just tired, that's all." Parker answered.

"Parker, honey. Talk to me. What's going on?" Sara-Mae wanted to know. She searched her husband's face, hoping to find an answer there.

"I got traded to another team. Over the summer, we need to move." Parker said after a long silence.

"Okay, baby. Where would we have to move to?" Sara-Mae inquired, hoping it would be somewhere in the area. If they moved out of state, Sara-Mae would have to find a different doctor and the kids would have to be enrolled in different schools.

"Florida." Parker answered. Sara-Mae frowned.

"Honey, when do we move?" Sara-Mae asked.

"In three weeks – that's when Spring Training starts." Parker told her. Sara-Mae nodded and kissed his cheek. The two of them never fought, or when they did, they tried to work it out privately.

Sara-Mae took a shower while Parker took care of dishes. The two of them watched a movie on the couch until the boys came home.

Shortly after the boys came home, Sara-Mae went to bed. Parker kissed her forehead as she fell asleep.

She felt Parker climb in next to her and hold her close. He kissed her face as his hands roamed her petite frame.

"Mmm, Parker. Not tonight – I'm exhausted." Sara-Mae told her husband. She opened her eyes and screamed.

That's when she woke up from her nightmare. She screamed and cried for Parker. He ran into the room, carrying a baseball bat.

"Honey, are you okay? Where's the intruder?" Parker questioned, his eyes darting all over the room for any signs of an intruder.

"There wasn't an intruder. I had a really awful nightmare." Sara-Mae sobbed. Parker put the baseball bat away and climbed in next to Sara-Mae, taking her in his arms.

"Shh, shh. I'm here now. It's all right." Parker soothed after Sara-Mae told him her nightmare. He rested his chin on the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the top of her head and held her the rest of the night.

_Three months later_

Sara-Mae was in the operating room, getting prepped for her C-Section. Only Parker was allowed to be with her, so Rachel, Greg, Derek, Roger, Mark, Jace, Alex and David waited in the waiting room.

Sara-Mae and Parker had picked out a beautiful name for their new daughter – Katarina Elizabeth Jordon. The name Katarina came from a character in a book that Sara-Mae had been reading. Elizabeth was for Parker's mother, who had died a year ago.

Two hours later, Sara-Mae was in recovery and Katarina was in the nursery. Parker headed to the waiting room, smiling, anxious to tell his family the news.

They all looked up, except for the kids – they were asleep on various chairs. Roger, Mark and Jace woke up the kids. Once everyone was awake, they turned their attention to Parker.

"We have a lovely little girl named Katarina Elizabeth. She was born at 3:30 this morning. She weighs 5 pounds, 6 ounces and is 16.7 inches long. She's in the nursery and Sara-Mae, or mommy, is in recovery. We can't see mommy right now, but we can see Katarina." Parker told the family.

Everyone followed Parker to the observatory outside the nursery and showed them Katarina. She was in the third row on the right hand side, second baby in.

"She's beautiful." Everyone said in unison.

Mark and Roger told Parker that the kids could stay at their house so that Parker could stay with Sara-Mae. Parker nodded and thanked Mark and Roger.

He told the kids to be good and watched them exit the hospital. Derek turned around and ran back to Parker, hugging him around the waist.

"When will mommy be home?" Derek inquired.

"The day after tomorrow. They had to cut open mommy to get Katarina out." Parker told his son.

"Daddy, can we call her Katie instead of Katarina? It's kind of a mouthful." Derek told Parker. Parker nodded and smiled, liking that idea.

"Yes, Derek. We can call her Katie." Parker told Derek. He smiled and ran off to join his family.

Parker went to Sara-Mae's room and smiled when Katarina was brought in. He carefully picked her up and held her while Sara-Mae slept.

He fed Katie her bottle and sung her a lullaby. By the time Katie finished her bottle, Sara-Mae was somewhat awake.

"Hi. How are you feeling?" Parker whispered, kissing Sara-Mae's forehead.

"All right." Sara-Mae responded, her voice hoarse and groggy. She looked at the sleeping baby in Parker's arms. "May I hold her?"

Parker nodded and carefully handed Katie to Sara-Mae. Sara-Mae smiled at Katie and looked into her sleeping face.

When Sara-Mae grew sleepy, Parker put Katie in her incubator and closed the lid.

"I'll take care of Katie tonight." Parker whispered in Sara-Mae's ear. She nodded sleepily and went back to bed.

Two days later, Sara-Mae and Katie were allowed to come home. Parker put Katie in the nursery while Sara-Mae slept. The kids took care of themselves, so that Sara-Mae and Parker could take care of Katie.

That night, Sara-Mae and Parker got hardly any sleep. Katie woke up at all hours of the night, keeping the couple busy.

Parker took over taking care of Katie when Sara-Mae slept.

"She's down for the night." Parker told Sara-Mae after he finished changing.

"Good." Sara-Mae mumbled, her face buried in the pillows.

Parker held Sara-Mae in his arms, afraid to let her go.


	9. Chapter 9

**ONE MORE CHAPTER UNTIL AT LEAST WE HAVE EACH OTHER IS FINISHED. **

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CHAPTER NINE

_Three years later_

Sara-Mae was playing with Katie when suddenly, Katie complained that she had a headache.

"Okay, honey. Let's get you some medicine." Sara-Mae told her youngest. Katie nodded and followed her mother to the linen closet. Sara-Mae gave her two children's Advil and kept a careful eye on her.

Later, Katie complained that her neck was stiff and that she wasn't feeling well. Sara-Mae stayed with Katie the rest of the afternoon.

"Yes, she has a fever, confusion and altered consciousness." Sara-Mae told her pediatrician over the phone. She heard Katie vomit into the toilet, Parker held her hair back and rubbed her back in a circular motion. "Let's add vomiting to the list. She also complains that it's too bright."

Sara-Mae set up a movie for Katie to watch. Parker went to baseball practice while Sara-Mae took care of Katie. Rachel and the boys were in school.

"Momma, the movie too loud." Katie complained, covering her ears. Sara-Mae frowned, not knowing what was wrong with her youngest.

Sara-Mae ended up taking Katie to the pediatrician the following day. She held Katie's hand as the pediatrician examined Katie. He smiled at Katie and gave her a sticker for being so good. He then asked to speak to Sara-Mae in the hallway. Roger had gone with them, so he took Katie to look at the fish tank in the waiting room.

"I'm sorry to say, Mrs. Jordan, that Katie has the beginning symptoms of meningitis. It will eventually take her hearing." The pediatrician told Sara-Mae.

"But she will recover, right?" Sara-Mae wanted to know.

The pediatrician shook his head.

"She has at least a month before the disease takes her hearing. You and your family should start taking sign language classes and start looking at Deaf schools." The pediatrician told Sara-Mae.

"She can't lose her hearing. She's only three!" Sara-Mae yelled.

"I know, but she will lose her hearing. When she's older, she can either have a Cochlear Implant or she can get a hearing aid." The pediatrician said, pushing his glasses further up his nose.

Sara-Mae didn't know what to do or say at that moment. She had just found out that her little girl could lose her hearing to this disease.

The pediatrician was right – at the end of the month, Katie lost all her hearing, first in her left ear, then in her right. Sara-Mae and Parker signed up for sign language classes at the community college. It was an open class, so on most occasions, Roger, Mark, David, Rachel, Jace, Derek and Greg would come, along with Katie. Jace sometimes brought his new girlfriend, Arielle.

When Katie turned five, she got her first hearing aid. At first, she hated it, but Parker assured her that when she got older, she would get used to it.

Once school started, Parker and Sara-Mae made the decision to put Katie in a mainstream elementary school. Luckily, she would be going to the same elementary school that her twin brothers went to.

"We'll keep an eye out for you." Greg assured his sister as he and Derek walked Katie to her kindergarten class.

"You have Miss Sheryl. We had her – she's really nice." Derek told Katie. He and Greg waited until Katie was settled in her class before going to their sixth grade class. "Love you, Katie."

"Love you Derek. Love you Greg." Katie told her brothers.

"Oh, Katie. Mom will be picking you up, okay?" Greg added. Katie nodded, took a deep breath and entered the class.

At noon, Sara-Mae went to pick up Katie from kindergarten class. She spotted her playing with a red-headed girl and a boy with black hair. Sara-Mae noticed something interesting – both kids had hearing aids, like Katie did.

Katie smiled and ran over to her mother, throwing her arms around Sara-Mae's waist.

"I made two new friends. That's Lilly and Aaron." Katie told Sara-Mae. Sara-Mae smiled and kissed the top of Katie's head.

"Do you have everything?" Sara-Mae asked Katie. She nodded and went to say goodbye to her friends. Katie waved goodbye to the teacher, Miss Sheryl and left the room.

The two of them headed to the car, Katie babbling away about what she did and learned that day.

When they got home, Sara-Mae fixed Katie a peanut butter and banana sandwich for lunch before heading out again.

"Grandpa will be over soon to take you to the park." Sara-Mae told Katie, kissing her forehead. "I love you, sweet girl."

"Love you, too, mommy." Katie responded, doing a worksheet from her backpack. It took her five minutes to do.

Just as Sara-Mae had said, Roger appeared at the door with David.

"Where's Papa?" Katie asked.

"He'll meet us later – he has some work to do." Roger told his youngest grandchild. He took her other hand and walked down the street to the park.

Roger watched the two children play and was thankful that they got along.

"OW! GRANDPA! DAVID PUSHED ME!" Katie's voice rang out.

"David, say you're sorry." Roger told his son.

"No. She pushed me first!" David told Roger.

"David, you're nine and she's six. Do you think it's right to push her?" Roger asked.

"I didn't push him!" Katie told Roger.

"I know, honey. Go play and I'll talk to David." Roger told Katie. She climbed off the climber and went to the swings.

Roger and David were having a discussion when a woman walked up to Roger, Katie crying and holding her hand. At the woman's side was a small dog – Roger couldn't remember the breed.

"Excuse me, but she needs some help." The woman told Roger. He looked up from talking with David, his full attention on the woman and Katie.

"What happened?" Roger asked, getting to Katie's level. "Honey, are you okay?"

"The doggy bit me!" Katie cried. Roger looked at the woman, wanting an answer.

"What happened?" Roger repeated.

"I tried to tell her that my dog isn't very nice, but she couldn't hear me. I pulled my dog away and he snapped at her." The woman explained.

"Let me see your hand, sweetie." Roger told Katie. She held out her hand, tears streaming down her cheeks. Two small puncture wounds were an inch away from Katie's right pinky. "Were you looking at her when you were telling her not to touch the dog?"

"Yes." The woman responded.

"Was she looking at you? She's hard of hearing and needs to be able to read lips." Roger told the woman. Her face paled a little.

"No, she wasn't looking at me." The woman told Roger.

"We need to get her to the emergency room." Roger told the woman. He turned to Katie. "Honey, we're going to go on a little adventure, okay?"

"I'm sorry that happened and thank you for bringing her to me." Roger said, turning to the woman.

"You're welcome." The woman told Roger. She then left and went back to walking her dog.

Katie, Roger and David ran back to the house. Roger grabbed an ice pack and had Katie hold it on her hand. David stayed at the house, wanting to hang out with Derek and Greg. Rachel said that she would watch the boys.

Roger turned on the radio while he drove Katie to the emergency room. He told the nurse what happened and she had both Roger and Katie follow her to a little room.

A short while later, the doctor came in, a broad smile on his face. A nurse followed him, carrying a large syringe filled with a clear liquid.

"Hi, Katarina – that's a pretty name." The doctor told Katie, his voice calm and gentle. "I'm Dr. Barts and I'm going to be taking care of you today." He turned to Roger. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"I was having a talk with my son and the next thing I know, this woman brought Katie over, saying that Katie pet her dog when the woman said that the dog wasn't friendly. Katie's hard of hearing and has a hearing aid, so she needs to be able to see a person's face when she's talking with them." Roger explained.

"Okay, thank you, daddy." Dr. Barts told Roger.

"Oh, I'm not her dad – I'm her grandfather." Roger told the doctor, blushing a little.

"I'm sorry." The doctor apologized. He then turned to Katie. "Honey, I'm going to have your grandfather hold your uninjured hand while I examine this one, okay?"

Katie nodded and watched the doctor examine her right hand, concentrating all his attention on her wound. He poured some alcohol on the wound, which stung, but Roger kept telling Katie what a brave girl she was.

The doctor finished by giving Katie the shot from the syringe the nurse had brought in. He put a pink band-aid on her hand and explained that it would help with infection and not get Katie sick.

"Now, since you were such a good and brave girl, how about a sticker?" the doctor asked Katie. She nodded and went to the sticker drawer.

"Do you have any with princesses on it?" Katie inquired. The doctor nodded and handed her a princess sticker. She hugged the doctor and thanked him in sign language. The doctor signed back 'you're welcome.'

"How special are you to get a princess sticker?" Roger asked as he helped Katie in her booster seat.

"Pretty special, I guess." Katie answered. Roger smiled and kissed her forehead.

"You want some ice cream?" Roger wanted to know. He saw Katie's green eyes get bigger than they already were. He laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."

The two of them stopped for frozen custard at Dixie's. Katie got chocolate and Roger got rocky road.

"Don't spoil your dinner now, okay?" Roger told her.

"I won't." Katie assured him.

On the way home, Katie fell asleep. Roger put his phone on speaker so he could talk to Sara-Mae.

"Hey Dad." Sara-Mae greeted Roger.

"Hey honey. Katie and I are out and about. Do you want us to pick up something for dinner?" Roger asked.

"Could you pick up some subs, please? I think you know what everyone likes." Sara-Mae told her dad. "Dad, do you think Katie could stay with you and Dad tonight? Parker injured his leg during practice and I need to take him to the hospital."

"Sure, she can stay with us. We'll stay up late eating ice cream and gossiping." Roger teased.

"Very funny. Oh, David said that Katie got bit by a dog. Is she okay?"

"Yeah, the little imp is doing fine. She went to see Dr. Barts and he treated her. We then went out for custard and are heading home now." Roger said.

"Okay. I'll send David back with Katie's things. Are you and Dad comfortable taking her to school tomorrow, too?"

"Sure, kiddo. We're at Sub Stop, so we're gonna go. Say hi to Parker for us and tell him we love him."

"I will. Tell Katie I love her and I can't wait to see her."

"Will do. Love you sweetie."

"Love you too, dad. Thanks again for doing this on such short notice."

"No problem."

Roger hung up the phone and turned off the ignition. He then unbuckled Katie's booster seat straps and carried her into Sub Stop.

The girl behind the cash register smiled at Katie as she opened her eyes.

"Hi cutie!" the girl greeted Katie. She buried her face in Roger's shirt.

"She's just waking up from a nap." Roger explained. He then looked at the subs. "Could I get two number 3s, no mayo on two of them, three number 2s, extra mayo on one and no cucumber on one of them. Could I also get a vegetarian sub, please?" Roger told the girl.

"Absolutely. Would the little princess like anything?" the girl asked Katie, reaching out to touch her. Katie turned and looked at the girl behind the cash register, exposing her hearing aid for the first time.

"No, thank you." Katie told the girl, her voice heavy with sleep.

"Okay, honey." The girl told Katie. She then turned to Roger. "Your order comes to $15.49."

Roger reached into his wallet and pulled out a twenty. He handed it to Katie.

"Would you like to give the lady the twenty?" Roger asked Katie. She nodded and handed the lady the twenty, a huge smile on her face.

She handed Roger his change and told Katie to have a good day.

The subs were ready and together, Katie and Roger walked hand-in-hand out of Sub Stop.

They made a quick stop at the house to drop off the subs before heading over to Roger and Mark's.

"Hi honey." Mark greeted Katie as she and Roger entered the house. The couple's Maltese, Molly, came over and sniffing Katie everywhere. Katie cried and ducked behind Roger.

"I'll put her in our room. C'mon Molly." Roger coaxed Molly. He closed the door to the master bedroom and came back over to Katie. He saw her pink backpack on a chair by the front door.

Mark got out of his chair and went over to Katie. He ushered her toward the living room, where he was watching the news.

"Want to watch a movie?" Mark asked, going over to their movie collection. Katie nodded and went to sit on the couch.

"I have to go out for an hour – Alex has a tennis match and I told her I would be there. David is coming with me. You two have fun, okay?" Roger told Mark and Katie.

"Bye grandpa. I love you." Katie told Roger. He picked her up and kissed her cheek.

"Behave for your Papa, okay?" Roger told Katie, knowing that she would be an absolute angel.

"I will, grandpa." Katie assured Roger. He smiled and put her down just as David came down the stairs. The two of them exited the house and went to see Alex.

Mark and Katie watched three movies – one about princesses and two about animals. When the second movie about animals was over, Mark helped Katie with her bath.

"Do you want something to eat after your bath?" Mark asked. Katie nodded and yawned. Mark knew she was getting sleepy – she had a long day, so he couldn't blame her.

After Katie's bath, Mark made Katie a sandwich while she watched something on TV. Mark sat with her while she ate, every once in a while reaching over to stroke her hair.

Once her dinner was eaten, Mark put her dishes in the sink and helped Katie brush her teeth. He then put her in the guest room and made sure she had her stuffed bunny, Hunny.

Mark read Katie a bedtime story. By the time he finished, Katie was out like a light. He kissed her forehead and drew the blanket to her chin. Next, he took out Katie's hearing aid and put it on the bedside table. He then turned off the overhead light and closed the door.

He tended to Molly until Roger came home. Roger let Molly out one more time as Alex and David entered the house.

"Guys, be quiet – Katie's sleeping." Mark whispered.

"She doesn't have her hearing aid in, so she can't hear us, right?" David asked.

"Right, but still be quiet." Roger told his son. David rolled his eyes and headed upstairs.

"Can I say goodnight to Katie real quick, please?" Alex pleaded.

"Sure." Mark told her. She smiled and went to the room that Katie was sleeping in.

Alex crept into the room and once she approached Katie's bed, tapped her on the shoulder. Katie awoke with a start and put her hearing aid in.

"Alex? Why did you wake me up?" Katie inquired, her voice hoarse. Alex flipped on the bedside lamp so that Katie could read her lips.

"I just came to say good night to you and that I won my match." Alex told Katie. Katie smiled and hugged Alex. Alex smiled and hugged Katie back. She turned to Katie's stuffed bunny. "I see that you brought Hunny. How's she doing today?"

"Good." Katie said, yawning. Alex smiled and reminded Katie to take out her hearing aid. She signed 'I love you' and 'good night' before exiting the room.

The next morning, Roger came into the guest room and helped Katie get ready for the day ahead. She hugged his leg as they exited her room.

"Wait! I need to bring something for show-and-tell." Katie told Roger, going back to her room. She found Hunny and put her in her backpack.

Katie had now eaten breakfast and was ready to go.

"Ready to go?" Mark asked. Katie nodded, adjusted the straps on her bag, her ponytail and took both Mark and Roger's hands.

"Am I coming to your house after school?" Katie wanted to know as they crossed the street.

"I think so. Your mommy called yesterday and said that your daddy injured himself during practice and to stay with us." Roger told her.

"Forever?" Katie asked.

"No, honey. Not forever. Just until your dad starts to feel better." Mark explained.

They reached the elementary school and walked with Katie to her classroom. Roger rested his head on Mark's shoulder as the two of them watched Katie put her backpack in her cubby, get Hunny and went to play with some friends.

Katie turned around and smiled at her grandfathers, letting them know that she was fine. They blew her kisses and exited the building, walking back to their house hand-in-hand.

At noon, it was time to pick Katie up. Roger went to get her while Mark made lunch for the three of them.

"How was school, sweetheart?" Roger asked.

"Good." Katie answered, rather sadly. Roger looked at his granddaughter and got to her level. He knew that something wasn't right.

"Honey, what happened?" Roger wanted to know.

"Someone took Hunny!" Katie sobbed. Roger held her close, knowing how special Hunny was to Katie.

"Where was the last place you had her?" Roger questioned.

"On the playground." Katie answered. Just then, a friend of Katie's came over, carrying Hunny.

"You left Hunny on the playground under the swings." The friend told Katie. Katie hugged Hunny then hugged her friend. She thanked the friend in sign language and ran back to Roger.

"My friend Lilly found Hunny!" Katie squealed with glee. Roger smiled and kissed her forehead.

The two of them entered the house and found Mark in the kitchen, still making lunch.

"Hun, we're home." Roger told Mark, kissing his cheek.

"Hey. How was school?" Mark asked Katie.

She told him all about it while Roger set the table and got drinks.

After lunch, Katie went to take a nap while Mark and Roger cleaned up.

An hour later, Mark's cell phone rang. He went to answer it while Roger wiped up the crumbs.

"Yeah, okay…We'll bring her on over….Okay, sweetie. Love you, too….Bye." Mark finished his conversation, hung up the phone and turned to Roger. "That was Sara-Mae. Parker's injury is doing a little better, so Katie can come home. I told her I would bring Katie in a couple minutes."

Roger nodded and kissed Mark's cheek. Mark turned to Katie and smiled.

"Sweetie, your dad is feeling better, so you can go home, okay?" Mark told her. Katie smiled and went to get her things. Mark turned to Roger. "I'll be back soon, okay? I love you."

"Love you, too." Roger told Mark, kissing him.

As soon as Mark left, Roger felt an awful pain in his chest. He grasped his chest and made his way over to the phone. He dialed 911 and waited for the ambulance.

It pulled in just as Mark returned home. He rushed to the nearest EMT and looked in the ambulance.

"What's going on?" Mark wanted to know.

"He had a mild heart attack." The EMT told Mark. "If you're family, you can ride with us."

"I'm his husband." Mark told the EMT. He nodded and made room for Mark. He squeezed Roger's hand, looking into Roger's kind emerald eyes. "Honey, are you okay?"

Roger looked up at Mark, a breathing tube down his throat. He squeezed Mark's hand twice and Mark assumed that was 'yes.'

They arrived at the hospital a short while later, where Roger was whisked away to the emergency room. Mark used this opportunity to call his family. Jace, Alex and David were the first ones to arrive.

Mark was sobbing when Sara-Mae, Parker, Rachel, Derek, Greg and Katie came into the waiting room. Sara-Mae ran over to Mark and sat next to him.

"What happened?" Sara-Mae asked, searching Mark's face for an answer.

"Your dad died five minutes ago." Mark sobbed, looking into Sara-Mae's face.

She felt tears stream down her cheeks as Mark held her. The room was filled with sobbing.


	10. Chapter 10

**THIS STORY IS NOW COMPLETE! THANK YOU ALL FOR READING/REVIEWING! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!**

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CHAPTER TEN

_I can't control  
My destiny  
I trust my soul  
My only goal is just to be_

Roger's memorial service was scheduled for the following month. It was extremely moving. Sara-Mae cried throughout the entire service, as did Mark, Alex, David, Parker, Rachel, Greg, Derek and Katie.

Ten days after the memorial service, Mark suddenly passed away. Alex and David figured that it was from a broken heart.

David, Rachel, Alex, Greg, Derek and Katie finished school and graduated from college to start their careers.

_Without you  
The hand gropes  
The ear hears  
The pulse beats_

David went into interior design and broke the stereotype that only gay men became designers. He married a woman named Claire and they had three children – Hannah, Mark and Gloria.

Rachel went into a career in social work. She ended up marrying a fellow employee – a man named Noah Owens. They had two children – Grace and Roger.

_Life goes on  
But I'm gone  
'Cause I die without you_

Alex went into a career in teaching, as did Greg. Alex taught elementary school music, while Greg taught high school photography. Alex married a fellow teacher named Eric and they had twins – a girl and a boy named Sophia and Jeremy.

Greg also married a fellow teacher named Alison. They had a daughter, Elizabeth.

Derek went into a career in acting and was soon starring in a Broadway musical that was making its debut on Broadway. He fell in love with a male co-star named Steve. They eventually married and adopted a little girl named Maria.

Katie went into a career in law, especially law for Deaf or Hard of Hearing people. She was very successful and started dating a Deaf lawyer named Emmett. After five dates, Emmett proposed, of course, Katie said 'yes.' They married and had six kids, half were Deaf and half were Hard of Hearing. The kids names were – Alexander (Deaf), Bonnie (Hard of Hearing), Calvin (Hard of Hearing), Dianna (Deaf), Delaney (Hard of Hearing) and Elliot (Hard of Hearing).

_I die without you  
I die without you  
No day but today_

Sara-Mae and Parker lived to see their last grandchild be born before passing away. Sara-Mae had a rare form of cancer that took her life in a year and a half. Parker died from kidney failure.


End file.
